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RJA

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  1. RJA
    I would have to say Stewart was the biggest swing and miss as he was the highest pick that didn't make it of the group, and there were others taken after him (in first and comp rounds) in addition to Judge that have made it to the majors and performed well--Austin Meadows, Hunter Renfroe, Tim Anderson, Sean Manaea, Corey Knebel, etc. Tyler Jay would be a close second.
  2. RJA
    Thanks for the info. If he has character issues, it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the draft.
  3. RJA
    Great article as usual. I am just excited for the chance to see both these young men perform this year. Both of them have very high ceilings, and if they were to reach them in the next year or two, we can all imagine how good our lineup would be with Buxton, Polanco, Kirilloff, lewis, Martin, Garver and Miranda. Let's get this lockout over and start playing baseball.
  4. RJA
    If the American teams perform about the same this summer as last summer, and if there is a 12 team playoff structure, the Twins would likely have to win 90-93 games to be a wild card entry. That means they will have to find about 20 additional wins this summer. If you look at the roster, they will be short Berrios, Cruz, part of a season of Maeda, possibly Pineda, and a few others like Simmons and Colome who won't be missed :). Berrios is obviously the big loss. They should have more Buxton (we all pray that is the case), more Kirilloff, more Ryan, more Ober and hopefully more Taylor. Now if they had signed a Ray, Gausman or similar top arm, and added Pineda and one more solid arm through a trade, with the young kids coming up, I could see them closing the gap. But, unless they sign Rodon and trade for a second arm, I don't see how the young kids will be able to carry them to 20 more wins. I hope I am wrong.
  5. RJA
    It was not a college highlight, but the Druw Jones homerun during the chants was SOOO cool! I had seen it on another site, but the sound didn't work so I missed out on hearing the chant. It is great hearing the chant followed by the clink of the aluminum bat and everybody oohing and aahing while the pitcher puts both hands on his head in frustration. Classic moment. I am mostly watching to see how the college bats do as I think that is the most likely route the Twins will take. Lesko looks like a winner, but I don't think the Twins will take another high school righthander in the first round. You have put me on to this Joyce kid so I will definitely follow him. A 101 mph slider at the knees should be illegal! Thanks for the updates and the work you put in on them.
  6. RJA
    For a cold weather state, Minnesota has produced a lot of good ball players. Brody grew up in good baseball country--there is a lot of good town ball in that area running from Marshall south and east through Gaylord, New Ulm, Mankato and into Chaska. Plus, Minnesota State University, Mankato definitely recruits the high schools in the area well. It sounds like Brody has a good combination of stuff and deception so I sure hope he can make the bigs. You have given me another name to follow and cheer for this summer! I will watch for him on MilB TV.
  7. RJA
    Thank you for the kind response. This is a difficult issue for the reasons you outline. I grew up with no shifts, many fewer bullpen changes, no pitch clock, and more strategy. I actually liked that game better. This strikeout/homerun craziness has severely limited many of the beautiful aspects of the game--like bunting, the hit and run, base stealing, etc. Plus, the sheer number of pitching changes and the batters and pitchers taking so much time between pitches has added so much time to the game that the pace has become unbearably slow. The only reason I favor a "generous" play clock is that the games have become so long that I think something must be done to move play along. I hope it does not end up being a deal with the devil ;).
  8. RJA
    It seems like I just said the same thing about Jason Kubel, but boy, what a big "if only" attaches to Liriano due to his injury. He was absolutely devastating in 2006 and was every bit Santana's equal. Absent the injury, he would have had perennial all star attached to his name. Add me to the list of fans who think with a healthy Santana and Liriano, 2006 would have played out differently. Good topic. It is enjoyable to delve into Twins history, especially during this crazy labor negotiation. Nice job.
  9. RJA
    Travis Lee, now there is someone I haven't thought about for a long time! What a mess that situation was.
  10. RJA
    Outstanding summary of the pros and cons, Melissa. I definitely would like to see the game speed up some, so I like the pitch clock idea, but I don't want it to create an artificial pace to games. One of the beautiful parts about our favorite game is that the pace allows fans to talk during the game--what pitch will he throw, where in the stikezone, will the runners be on the move, where are the outfielders playing, should the infield be at double play depth, etc., etc.? That being said, I think the game has slowed down too much. I vote with Seth, let's have a pitch clock but not have the time so short between pitches that the game becomes robotic. BTW, you aren't old enough to have watched Camilo Pascual pitch, but he never could have played with a pitch clock. He was so slow on the mound that his infielders lost their edge in the field. Great article.
  11. RJA
    Good list, Nick. The only change I would make is to add Woods-Richardson as beckmt suggested. My reasoning would be that this is a bigger opportunity for him as he is closer to making an impact at the MLB level so if he impresses this spring he could move up quickly. Cavaco on the other hand is so far away that if the does well, which the Twins and all of us hope, it will not significantly affect his opportunities this year. Good topic.
  12. RJA
    My initial reaction to your list was to think about Jason Kubel and how good he might have been if it weren't for the injury. He had a fine career, but I think he would have been an all star caliber player had the knee injury not happened. My second reaction is recalling how people compared Willie Banks to Dwight Gooden when he was drafted. He was never able to harness all the talent as his lack of control killed him. Baseball America did an article about him a few years back and how he put his life back together after crashing emotionally. This article shows how hit and miss drafting truly is. "If only" applies to a lot of prospects. For every Morneau there is a McCarty.
  13. RJA
    I found myself really liking this kid, Seth. He has a healthy level of cockiness--confidence to throw any pitch at any time--but it is tempered by his willingness to be a "sponge" and soak in advice from more experienced players. And, I really liked his comment that baseball is great but it is not who he is. Like many of the young men you have interviewed, he shows a maturity beyond his years. And, like Joe Ryan and Chase Petty, I think this kid will be a great interview when he is in the bigs. I am confident that he will get the walks situation worked out, and you have to love the strike out numbers. Another excellent prospect. The Twins have a bundle of them.
  14. RJA
    Thanks Jeremy. Great article. Like virtually everyone else I love this idea. The international arena is one of the shady aspects of MLB. When you have kids growing up in tough financial situations, it is SO easy to take advantage of them and use their dream of playing in the bigs to induce them into lousy relationships with supposed agents. I think the details could be worked out--the idea is great.
  15. RJA
    Nice article, Nash. Clearly you hit the nail on the head with Lewis. Of all the players anywhere in baseball, I am not sure there is another player who needs to play baseball and have a good season more than Lewis. With all the crap going on in baseball now, it sure would be a great story if Lewis hit the ground running and had a great year. He is such a good kid and has worked so hard to comeback that you have to pull for him. Let's play baseball!
  16. RJA
    Stu, why don't you put together a Twins All Time Dad's Body Team? Mijares would qualify, as would Garces, Astudillo, Sano especially a couple years back, Herbie in his later years and, of course, Bartolo Colon, the Big Sexy.
  17. RJA
    I agree, Cody, especially if he can add a bit to his fastball, which might naturally happen with a switch to the bullpen. In addition to the great slider, he has the right personality to thrive in the bullpen--he is composed and calm and does not seem to let things bother him. All that leadership training at the academy paid dividends! I suspect the FO has already penciled him in for a bullpen spot.
  18. RJA
    Thanks for keeping us updated, Jeremy. I am a draft junkie--mostly for baseball but I love to follow the NBA, NFL, WNBA and NHL as well. So feel free to pump out as many takes as you can! Everything I have read agrees with your assessment that this will be a position player heavy draft at the top end. I can't see the Twins taking another high school RHP, so I suspect they will focus on the position players, be they college or prep players. What we don't know yet of course is if any of this changes due to injuries or breakouts by some guys this spring. Getting the 8th overall pick is the ONLY, and I mean ONLY, good thing about last year. Keep up the great work.
  19. RJA
    I agree with the top 4, but after that it gets murky in my mind as Wallner's swing and miss problem is significant as it typically gets worse as you climb the ladder. But, if he can find ways to make more contact and keep the power, he could be a real asset. The same could be said about Sabato and he is two years younger than Wallner so he would be in the mix for the 5th spot, as well as Soularie and maybe Encarnacion-Strand. On the pitching side, Varland would be in the mix along with Sands and Hajjar. After you get out of the top 19 prospects, it is somewhat of a crap shoot.
  20. RJA
    I agree with you Andrew. College baseball is a blast to watch, just like minor league baseball. And, there are college teams all over the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa so it is easy for almost anyone to take in some games. I do it quite often. As for the best of these 5 collegiate players, I would go with Larnach as winning the College World Series was huge as was the big home run. In the Twins farm system, I would have to put Martin on top of the list of former collegiate hitters.
  21. RJA
    I'm with Doctor Gast. Killebrew, Oliva, Carew, and Puckett. Killebrew is the greatest power hitter the Twins have ever had and helped get them to the Series. Oliva was one of the best all around players of his era, and absent his injuries was a first ballot type candidate for the Hall. Plus, he has given his whole life to the Twins and their players and fans. Carew is one of the best pure hitters in the history of the game. Puckett was not only a fantastic player, but probably the best leader the Twins have ever had. And, a world champion. If you created a mini Mt. Rushmore, I would put Santana, Kaat, Mauer, and Blyleven on it. Best current bets 10-15 years from now--Buxton and Polanco.
  22. RJA
    I have decided to be philosophical about this. I cannot influence either side, so as Mercutio noted in Romeo and Juliet, "a pox on both your houses." The long term harm being done to baseball is obvious to all. Young folks no longer have the excitement about baseball as they did during the Ruth, O'Neil, Mays, Mantle, and Puckett eras, and I cannot imagine this will bring any of them back to the game. We all know this will be settled, but at what cost? I fear the good of the game is a forgotten concept. So, as I refuse to get upset about things over which I can exercise no control, I am going to focus on the minors and college baseball until such time as "play ball" is heard again in the majors. I fear I love the game and the Twins too much to walk away despite all this needless rancor. I just pray it is not mid summer before we begin again.
  23. RJA
    Great story! There is so much richness in the history of baseball to be mined. More than any other sport, baseball's history is interwoven with the history of our country, I really enjoyed this posting. Thank you.
  24. RJA
    Great job following these negotations, Ted. Let's get the lawyer stuff behind us and "Play Ball!".
  25. RJA
    Great prospect summaries. Thanks to all the TD gang who worked on them. I can't wait to see how Raya does. I hope you are right on him, Seth.
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