Paul Pleiss

You can download the new Talk to Contact (@TalkToContact) episode via iTunes or by clicking here, and if you want to add the show to your non-iTunes podcast player, this is the RSS Feed. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1Q2Ya2ZDIg/VOc_upiWH6I/AAAAAAAAK_8/Edy4jke4Wtc/s1600/shirtpodcast.jpg This week on the show our friend from North Dakota, Cody, is taking the week off to focus on the youth of the greater Fargo area. What a noble man he is. The rest of us forge ahead without him to discuss the news that needs discussing. E. Rolf openly laments everything and anything that the Twins can, have, or will do to make 2015 a success, all the while remaining overly optomisitc that this week's Down on the Pond player, Tyler Grimes, will one day see time with the big league ball club. Hope springs eternal! Jay declares our podcast to be world famous. Which may or may not be true, but Paul lives in Seattle, which is practically Canada, so that's probably good enough for us. This week we wonder aloud who will be the Twins 5th starter, whether the Twins offense can be as good as it was last season, and whether the bullpen for this ball club is a strength or a weakness. Thanks for listening and enjoy our show. [/url] If you enjoy our podcast, please tell your friends about us and take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes. Ratings and reviews help to supplement teacher salaries, and teachers are underpaid, damn it. Source

You can download the new Talk to Contact (@TalkToContact) episode via iTunes or by clicking here, and if you want to add the show to your non-iTunes podcast player, this is the RSS Feed. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--afO4EjF3Rs/VOc-2JcmH2I/AAAAAAAAK_0/B1uXeQHGvRs/s1600/nye%2Bpodcast.jpg After a week off celebrating 2014 and welcoming in 2015, the podcast crew was back together (minus a Rolf) to begin a new year of Talk to Contact radio gold. This week we make some New Year's resolutions on behalf of the Twins, to include Joe Mauer, Aaron Hicks and prayers for something (ANYTHING!) resembling a starting pitcher not named Phil Hughes. In this week's reviewing the roster segment, we take a look at the 2014 contributions of Caleb Thielbar, Ricky Nolasco and Oswaldo Arcia. We prognosticate on what 2015 will bring for the three and whether they will be a big part, or no part, of the 2015 Twins team. When we go Down on the Pond we discuss the future potential of minor league short stop Engelb Vielma, who played last season with low-A Ceder Rapids. Will he become the next great Twins star, or even crack the big league roster? And finally we spend more time than it probably deserved discussing the 2015 Hall of Fame balloting, elections and snubs. Thanks for listening and enjoy our show. [/url] If you enjoy our podcast, please tell your friends about us and take a couple extra minutes and rate and review us on iTunes. Ratings and reviews don't buy us any pizzas, but we're buying pizza anyways! Source

<img src="http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400_10366187.jpg" alt="itunes pic" /><br />Jay and Eric take you on a long over due road trip around the last three weeks of Twins news, which includes a bunch of smart baseball folks thinking the Twins will lose 90 games again, a pretty miserable collection of teams in the American League Central, and what Spring Training is really all about. Reviewing the roster this week we dive deeper on Glen Perkins, Eddie Rosario, and Phil Hughes. And then, beer, baseball and the news. Enjoy the show. <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>

Branch. That's a solid name. Not a lot of great names/nicknames in baseball anymore.

Nick Gordon is the first Twins prospect that makes me feel old. I don't know why Byron Buxton, born on my birthday, more than a decade after me doesn't make me feel old, but Nick Gordon does. And now I'm no longer "young." Or whatever. At least I learned how to enjoy a cold beer and the game of baseball a long the way.

Joe Benson. I will always miss you. So much potential.

I think it's very likely that Alex Meyer would have been up last year, instead of Trevor May, had he not gotten injured around the all-star break. If the Twins don't have AM up to start the season I'll be more than a little perplexed, and if he's not and the Twins don't call him up for the first available spot start, then it's time to rethink Terry Ryan's place at the front of this organization. Alex Meyer needs a chance to show what he can do against MLB hitters. Use him out of the pen if he's not ready, or start him in AAA until it warms up, but by no means should he be in AAA when the calendar turns to June.

I am surprised the Twins EVER out homered their opponents. Which seasons? And how/where did you find that data. You hooked me! I like the idea of a power hitting Twins lineup. Yes, there will likely be a lot of swing and miss (but there is now too) but I don't think that most of those guys will strike out a lot, as I think they are both power hitters and quality hitters overall. I am excited for the future. Just have to make it through another year of waiting.

I don't much care for the Indians, and as much as I think they are improved and will be better than the Twins, I'd be willing to bet a helmet nachoes that the Twins out duel them head-to-head. Any takers?

Mike Pelfrey wore the same sweater to Twins Fest this year as he did at Twins Fest two years ago in the dome. That's consistency, and that's what TR and the Twins value. Also, if you squint a little, Big Pelf looks like a sasquatch. That's something of value. Hitters should fear that. But, unfortunately, he's not actually a sasquatch, and hitters aren't squinting at the baseball. We will all wonder how Big Pelf was able to get a two year deal from the Twins, but we may never know. I think it's safe to assume that his super mega awesome agent got one over on the generous Twins front office. Whoops! I think Pelf should start the season in the pen. See if his stuff plays up at all. No use sending him to AAA. Build up some value in the pen, and likely have him spot start as needed when arms start falling apart.

"There's no such thing as a pitching prospect" - Everyone ever. Max Kepler is the most exciting name on this list for me after Lewis Thorpe. Both seem to have huge upside/potential. I want to see them succeede.

"I have little doubt that he will be up in the big leagues before June" my head is spinning. If he's not up in April something has gone wrong. He should have been up LAST june. The Twins keep waiting for consistency, fine, but Nolasco was consistently bad, and Kyle Gibson was consistently inconsistent, so that argument seems laughable. Let the kid pitch and see what he can do. There's no time like the present. ALEX MEYER 2015!

Joe Mauer just needs to drink more milk, obviously.

May the win probablity be ever in your favor

I really like what they do in MiLB, not letting guys step out of the box. I don't think we need big leaguers adjusting their batting gloves between every pitch. Play baseball. Don't just stand around. I don't have a lot of issues with a pitcher holding the ball for awhile with runners on base, or to try to "game" a batter, but for the most part, I hate watching the between pitch antics of adjusting gear and taking half swings while outside the box. Stay in there and be a hitter.

You already mentioned my biggest issue with blog post, carrying over the comments to front page/forums, which I think we have dicussed previously. I look forward to that long term goal completion. I like the current blog view. I would like to see the recent blogs section on the Front page moved up. I know that's probably a pipe dream, but I'm much more intersted in getting a quick look at any new blogs than I am reading about what's happening in other MinnCentric sites.

<img src="http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400-360x360+237+0_10305445.jpg" alt="itunes pic" /><br />This week we try out to sing the National Anthem at a Twins game, talk about how lame baseball nicknames are in 2015, and Paul tries to figure out what the Twins are doing with Eduardo Nunez. We go down on the pond and talk about Cameron Booser (Jay nicknames him Boose, era of lame nicknames, indeed), and we go all around the league talking beer, baseball and the news. <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>

<img src="http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400_10285155.jpg" alt="itunes pic" /><br />This week the guys talk about TwinsFest, the TwinsDaily.com Winter Meltdown, what it means that Trevor Plouffe is the highest paid third basemen in franchise history, and about one Twins minor league pitcher subtweeting another. We also review the 40 man roster a bit more with JR Graham, Ervin Santana, and Brian Dozier. Plus beer, baseball, and the news! <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>

<img src="http://assets.podomatic.net/ts/19/ad/da/paulpleiss/1400x1400_10265491.jpg" alt="itunes pic" /><br />This week on the show our friend from North Dakota, Cody, is taking the week off to focus on the youth of the greater Fargo area. What a noble man he is. The rest of us forge ahead without him to discuss the news that needs discussing. E. Rolf openly laments everything and anything that the Twins can, have, or will do to make 2015 a success, all the while remaining overly optomisitc that this week's Down on the Pond player, Tyler Grimes, will one day see time with the big league ball club. Hope springs eternal! Jay declares our podcast to be world famous. Which may or may not be true, but Paul lives in Seattle, which is practically Canada, so that's probably good enough for us. This week we wonder aloud who will be the Twins 5th starter, whether the Twins offense can be as good as it was last season, and whether the bullpen for this ball club is a strength or a weakness. Thanks for listening. <a href="http://talk2contact.podomatic.com" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>

Is it too late to cut Eduardo Nunez? I understand that a below average utility player who can't keep a helmet on is probably worth somewhere just below a million dollars to a ball club, but I don't see any real use in spending that million on Eduardo Nunez... he doesn't fit on the roster in any meaningful way. Is he just utility man insurance incase Danny Santana can't handle SS (or has to play CF) and Eduardo Escobar is called into everyday service at SS? I'm anti-Nunez. And I don't care who knows it.

Beans, Beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot, the more you toot, the better you feel. Let's have beans for every meal. I think Josmil Pinto (Beans) is ready to be called into service should Kurt's motorcycle shop be unable to go. That being said, a defensive catcher with no offensive upside could be added to the 40-man, or acquired via trade, without too much difficulty, should the need arise. Zook will be fine. Pinto will be a servicable backup and provide offensive upside off the bench, something this team NEEDS more than a Drew Butera type riding the pine.

most of this metric talk is way over my head after the first couple of paragraphs, but from what I understand, i like the new metric combined with other metrics we have. I like the outside the box thinking. I wonder how it works at identifying solid SS candidates from years past; does your metric continue to pass the smell test going backwards>?

I went last year, and while I remember the beginning of the event, towards the end things got a bit more hazy. After about 5 minutes into the first interview the crowd noise started up and I spent the remainder of the evening unable to hear most of the interviews and instead drank beers and talked baseball and what have you with friends, some new and some old. Thankfully, TD released the audio recording from the event the following week. Hopefully the interview sessions are better set up this year, i look forward to hearing what these guys have been up to, and what they have to say about their days with Minnesota.