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Brandon Brooks

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Everything posted by Brandon Brooks

  1. Brandon Brooks
    Yup - the reports that Ramos was supposed to be the centerpiece to get a prime Cliff Lee from Seattle are the real stinger in this deal. Instead of pivoting to another frontline starter (or standing pat if there wasn't a fit anywhere else) it felt like the team made a knee-jerk reaction to get something done at an important deadline.
  2. Brandon Brooks
    That September 25th game to complete the sweep, down 2.5 games, remains the best baseball game I've ever been to in person. In a lot of ways, it felt like the Piranhas' Last Stand -- the final big Dome win against Ozzie Guillen's White Sox. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Jim Thome against - Go-Go and Casilla. It's just one of those games that I remember beat-for-beat. Mauer doubles in a run in the home first, and then Slowey rattles off three perfect innings before everything just explodes in the fourth. But then it was just off to the races for the speedsters - Gomez RBI triple in the fourth, followed by a Span RBI doubleGomez triples and scores on a Span squeeze play in the sixthGomez singles in a run and scores on a game-tying Span triple in the eighthJust an unreal night from both of those guys. "0-1 to Casilla...LINER TO CENTER! AND THE TWINS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE!"
  3. Brandon Brooks
    I always wondered if the 2015 team makes the playoffs if Ervin doesn't get suspended. We only finished three games back of the Wild Card. That being said, we actually only had four other guys start a game (who weren't in the regular rotation.) Three of those guys (Duffey, May, and J.R. Graham for a game) had decent years, too. Still, swap three Ervin starts for three or more of Nolasco (6.75 ERA, 1.71 WHIP) and that team could have actually snuck in. Of course, we would have faced the Yankees in the Wild Card Game, anyway...so maybe best not to dwell!
  4. Brandon Brooks
    I get the thinking (keeping everyone fresh certainly looked like it helped the offense) but I don't agree with it on the pitching front because: - We already lack proven pitching depth, and a six-man rotation means it takes longer to get our pair of All-Star starters back on the mound and - One of those starters (Berrios) was noticeably better on four days' rest than five last year: 3.29 ERA, 1.020 WHIP, 6.33 K/BB ratio on four days' rest (65.2 innings) VS 4.21 ERA, 1.442 WHIP, 2.91 K/BB ratio on five (102.2 innings)
  5. Brandon Brooks
    This is what I'd put my chips on right now -- and also what I'd enjoy seeing the most, I think. I'm not sure what the effectiveness is of stretching a guy back out via primary pitching vs. gradually increasing minor-league pitch counts (and there's not a lot of data on that comparison, obviously.) 1. Berrios 2. Odorizzi 3. Trade acquisition 4. Randy Dobnak 5. Opener ft. Brusdar Graterol After 40 games, Pineda slots into that three spot, maybe Graterol is ready to be the full-time #5 guy and bumps Dobnak, maybe he gets sent down for more work in Rochester and Dobnak is the number five.
  6. Brandon Brooks
    I really don't hate this at all, and I pretty much agree with everything you said here. One dependable bulk arm (I would have liked Teheran for that kind of job.) Randy Dobnak has been more or less lights-out at every professional level and I'm excited to see what he can do. Graterol could be starting mid-season and could be on the Opening Day roster if we're using more openers. Lots of question marks, yes, which necessitates a surer bet signing on either the trade/FA market. But like you said, Tampa Bay has had a lot of success with this in the past while only ever having one or two "true starters" actually on the roster. Playing the matchups and shuffling consistently did wonders for the offense last year, and digging into that philosophy for the pitching staff could produce similar results. Two reigning All-Star starters, adding a mid-tier arm, and running with some rookies -- complemented by what is a good on-paper pen.
  7. Brandon Brooks
    There's every possibility that the Royals don't win anything in 2015, and plummet to where they are now without anything to show for it. That's the risk of going "all-in" -- nothing is guaranteed. The Nationals had a worse record than all but two of last year's playoff teams, and they beat the 107-win Astros. Every time you get into the postseason, you have a chance to do something. More postseason appearances = more opportunities for the chips to fall your way. An extended run of success would make Minnesota a much more attractive free agent destination than it is now. Which brings in higher-profile talent, which (theoretically) turns into higher-quality playoff showings. I like our odds of winning the World Series more if we have five good division-winning teams next decade than if we have a 116-win team next season.
  8. Brandon Brooks
    It's funny that this decade was bookended by the Twins signing big-name, veteran DHs - ones who were getting up there in age, but still came and produced. But lest we forget...the best free-agent signing of the decade was obviously Willians Astudillo.
  9. Brandon Brooks
    I will go to bat for Mejia every time his name comes up in conversation. Struggled with efficiency last year, but still put up a win above replacement, looks great at Rochester this year, is a lefty, and is only 25. I think he has a future on the roster.
  10. Brandon Brooks
    Just not pitching too great. Couple early homers, getting hit hard, and it was a two-run game when he was pulled.
  11. Brandon Brooks
    Definitely hadn't noticed that, but then again, I haven't spent a whole lot of time looking at the league leaderboards this year. When's the last time we had a guy in the race for the batting title? Probably Mauer, right? I remember when he was always in the running and it was a big enough deal for the TV broadcast to track it. EDIT: Mauer finished 7th last year at .305. That was the only top-10 finish for any Twin since, you guessed it, Mauer again in 2nd place in 2013, hitting .324 in 508 PAs.
  12. Brandon Brooks
    Heck of an opportunity, beating Kluber to open the series. Maybe we can do some damage this weekend after all? My only question is where Magill was. Up by five with six outs to get? When else is he going to get work?
  13. Brandon Brooks
    Buxton's even been less valuable than Sano this year... -3 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR, compared to Sano's 80 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR in only nine more games. Not saying I want to see a roster without either of them, because that speaks volumes about this season, but they have both absolutely plummeted since last year. (Also goes to show the value of Buxton in the field...he has a negative wRC+ but he's still hovering right around replacement level.)
  14. Brandon Brooks
    Jorge Polanco was certainly the most fun to watch today. Sure, seeing Sano work every count to 3-2 before taking his base is a great appetizer, but Polanco's powerful stroke was the entree in a fun all-around meal. Baseball is back! We have box scores again!
  15. Brandon Brooks
    Don't think I would have remembered that we signed Beresford that long ago!
  16. Brandon Brooks
    If Park doesn't cut it for whatever reason and needs some minor-league conditioning, I'd rather see Vargas get the DH job over Quentin. Something tells me Quentin, if on the major-league roster, will be asked to occasionally play in the outfield, and I want no part of that!
  17. Brandon Brooks
    I'm sure that Johan will have to officially announce his retirement before the Twins induct him into their Hall of Fame. Wouldn't want to send the message that the organization thinks his career is over! (...Even though it probably is. )
  18. Brandon Brooks
    I'd say that Buxton getting injured and having to miss quite a bit of time very shortly after getting the call was the worst Buxton-related point this year. I wanted more!
  19. Brandon Brooks
    That Escobar is finally going to get a spot in the lineup to open 2016 -- barring any surprise transactions or injuries -- is going to be a welcome change to the makeup of the roster. Part of me wonders whether or not Escobar will play in five different positions in 2016 if he has a more permanent role up the middle -- he played short, third, second, left, center, and right at different junctures in both '14 and '15. If Double-E is playing opposite Dozier every day, who takes on that super-utility role? Nunez?
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