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Darius

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Everything posted by Darius

  1. I agree with this. I could nitpick and throw out a lineup I'd prefer a little more. But I guess the playoffs would be a strange time to bump Dozier from leadoff. For the record, my (likely misguided) attempt at a lineup against Severino would be: Polanco, SS; Mauer, 1B; Buxton, CF; Dozier, 2B; Rosario, LF; Escobar; 3B; Kepler, RF; Grossman, DH; Castro, C. That will also make it impossible to hit consecutive lefty matchups out of the Yanks 'pen. With Sano: Polanco, SS; Mauer, 1B; Buxton, CF; Dozier; 2B; Rosario, LF; Sano, DH; Escobar, 3B; Kepler, RF; Castro, C. Man, that lineup with Sano is fun to tinker with. So many good matchup possibilities. The moral of the story is I'd prefer Dozier in a position to hit a multi-run shot in the top of the 1st in the WC game. Jumping out to quick lead could help shake the Yankee curse.
  2. Verlander had a no-move. Even if the FO had the ammo to win a bidding war, which they didn't, there is zero chance he's approving a trade to the Twins. It would also be nice to have Sandy Koufax in his prime. Equally as plausible.
  3. They can use a 3-man rotation in the playoffs, and go with Santana, Berrios, or Gibson again in a game 4 (depending on who starts the WC game and games 1-3). That bridge is way too far off to consider at this point. They still have to take care of business in the reg season, then win a one gamer at Yankee Stadium or Fenway, then would have to win 1 of 3 games against Cleveland. But, if for some reason a 4th starter we're to become necessary in the playoffs, it'll depend on the situation (are you facing elimination, up 2-1, etc?). But, I don't see any scenario when I'd want 44 year-old Colon and his 86 mph heater in a game of that magnitude. Mejia is much more likely to keep a team off the scoreboard for 5-6 innings, IMO. It trust Mejia more than guys like Boshers, Duffey, etc right now as well. A bullpen game, with our bullpen, is a punt.
  4. Let's be honest, who here would want to give the Pohlad's a "hometown discount" if it came down to that? I would relish the opportunity to repay them for all of the penny pinching and hand-sitting that cost us fans legitimate contending teams in the '00s, and suffering through some of the worst baseball in the MLB outside of that....only to extort $350 million in tax dollars (plus interest paid by the County on the bonds) for a stadium, while only contributing about half of that themselves. They should rightfully be raked over the coals. Growing up in Minnesota, as Mauer has, should only solidify that notion.
  5. They aren't just signing "some guy" to an extension in his mid-30s. Let's get that clear. Guys like Boggs, Molitor, etc, who Mauer belongs in the conversation alongside in terms of hitting prowess, pulled it off just fine. Second, there is injury risk with any player you sign. Sano is the answer to that injury risk at 1B? He has yet to play more than 116 games in a season because of injury. Third, Mauer is exactly what this lineup needs. They have any number of guys who can hit the all out of the ballpark with a low BA/excessive K rates (Sano, Buxton, Rosario, Dozier, etc). What this team needs is a guy who can be a pro hitter, move runners over, take long ABs, etc. A Freddie Freeman or Joey Votto isn't falling out of the sky into our laps anytime soon. Hate to break it to some of you. Mauer is the best possible option for the foreseeable future, especially if he's back to hitting .320 with a .400+ OBP. Then, you throw in the marketability of a guy who could push for the HOF and possibly 3k hits....letting him walk would be borderline insanity by this FO from a baseball and business perspective.
  6. He may be the most underrated player on the team, when it comes to recognition for his contribution to the Twins epic turnaround. He's one of my favorite players on this team, and that goes beyond his contributions in the field. By all accounts (I don't know him personally), he's an extremely gracious and generous individual, universally loved. Truly one of the good guys, who everyone should be rooting for.
  7. Miscalculation: he's one hundredth behind Dozier.
  8. Buxton's turnaround is incredible. His season average is now higher than Dozier's.
  9. That's nothing compared to the Yanks scorer giving Ellsbury a triple on that ball Rosario dropped the other night, IMO. But, yeah, also pretty bad.
  10. That's a huge hit from Escobar.
  11. How big would it be for this team to get Kepler going from the left side going into a game with the Yankees, and their 165 ft fence in RF?
  12. Not sure on that one. Id think there would be one for the WC game, but just a guess. If we're talking 163, I'd guess that's less likely.
  13. We'll just agree to disagree on that. I'll take Polanco, Rosario, or Escobar 10 out of 10 times in a must-win game....which they all are. Think of the reaction if you give guys a day off and get passed by the Rangers or Angels or lose a 163. Its fireable.
  14. It's 2-1 in the third and he's thrown 36 pitches.
  15. I'm not sure you give anybody a day off at this point. One game could cost you a playoff spot right now, as well as the Rangers are playing.
  16. Beautiful baserunning there.
  17. I most certainly would do that. That said, I'm not sure that would make any difference for the off-season free-agent plans. Maybe it'll be different with this FO. We can only hope, because if there ever was a time for an organization to throw a boatload of cash at pitching, this offseason would be it. They're a starter and a couple of quality bullpen pieces from being a legit contender for AL World Series rep, IMO.
  18. He was a sure-fire 3k guy, IMO, but he was robbed of a few good years due to injuries (knee, concussion). The common thread with 3k guys - 20+ season of no injuries (with the exception Ichiro, who played like 17 here, or something). Also, I may be missing someone, but I don't believe any guys that played significant time at catcher are in the club. Ivan Rodriguez got to around 2800 in 20 season. I'm also not sure how many in the 3,000 hit club got their start at 18-19 years old, where Mauer spent a few years in the minors. Something else that doesn't really get much consideration when comparing guys in today's game to the old-timers. If he manages to get to 3k, under his circumstances, not only is he a sure HOF player, but he's got to be considered one of the greatest hitters of all-time. If he surpasses 2,500, which he certainly will barring injury or early retirement, it's still a pretty astounding career. The guy doesn't get nearly enough credit for how great of a hitter he really is/was.
  19. That game felt like a drowning person finally breaking the surface to get s breath. That was sorely needed. It's encouraging that they could shake that last series off.
  20. Car dealerships and homes in Florida can be added to that list.
  21. You have to think he would take a hometown discount, and wouldn't want to finish his career platooning in the east or west coast. But, who really knows. The way he's played this year, they should most certainly try and bring him back.
  22. I still don't understand how he wouldn't be effective as a DH, and how that would cause him to miss time next year. David Ortiz and Jim Thome ran slower than most players walk. He's on that level in terms of ability to hit the ball for power, or draw a walk. So, a "clogging the bases" narrative doesn't add up to me. If the injury is significant enough that you're worried about him going into next year, where was this diagnosis weeks ago? If it's just a pain tolerance thing (aka, no real structural concern), then what's the deal? I recall Molitor at some point referencing "convincing HIM he can go," didn't mention convincing medical staff. It sounds, by all accounts, that he has no real desire to get back and help this team immediately at less than 100%, which raises an eyebrow. I agree, there is something strange going on here. Veiled disciplinary action? Concealing a more concerning injury issue? At odds with Molitor/FO?
  23. Ok, I can buy the Escobar is more valuable right now at 3rd bit, but you're telling me that Vargas, etc, are providing more as a DH, or late inning PH? It doesn't add up. I'll take a "rusty" Sano at the dish in ninth down by 1 over Vargas 10 out of 10 times.
  24. I think the Twins are just the team to be successful in the playoffs with a shortened rotation. It's the bullpen that scares the hell out of me. I'm not sure I trust a single guy in a high leverage situation in a winner-take all game. Offensively, they are just so hot and cold. Their relative incompetence when it comes to picking up those RISP with zero or one out will really kill them. For those who don't buy that it's an issue for this club: they are 28th in the MLB in runners left in scoring position at 3.7 per game. Normally, this is a good thing, because it means you're getting guys on base. They're right there with the Indians, Yankees, Houston, etc in that regard. But, if you dig a little deeper, you'll see they are behind those teams in avg., OBP, OPS, etc. that will tell you that they are getting fewer runners in scoring position, thus stranding them at a higher rate, than the elite offensive teams. They have to turn that around and start picking up those runs, or they'll never survive their bullpen.
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