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EddieMatthews

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Everything posted by EddieMatthews

  1. EddieMatthews
    The new POBO and GM will have good potential to work with in '17. The outfield is solid with Rosario, Buxton, Kepler. Infield could be solid also with Sano, Polanco, Dozier, Mauer. (Rumor is that the discussion on Mauer's health is driven by Trunp. Just saying, but nobody knows.) That leaves catcher and pitching. Maybe the new executives can lure a #1 or #2 starter to pair up with Santana. There should be good options for the rest of the staff. I am more optimistic about May, Duffey and Hughes than Gibson. Relief staff may be OK with addition of one more arm. Hope is always there for the next year.
  2. EddieMatthews
    Back to earth. I thought the low point was at the KC Twins game on Sept 6. After a solid start from Santana, Pressly is called in relief in the 7th with a 3-2 Twins lead and runners on 1 and 2 with none out. Escobar singles in a run to tie the game and take away Santana's win. Then in the ninth Kintzler allows two singles and a walk to load the bases. With the infield in, the Twins get a force at home for out 1. Kintzler then allows a single through the drawn in infield to score a run for KC. O'Rourke comes in with one out and the bases loaded, and again with a drawn in infield, gets a ground ball to Dozier. Dozier throws home for out # 2. Why he didn't throw to second to start a double play, I don't understand. It could have been a 4-3 game going into the bottom of the 9th. At any rate, in comes Pat Light. Same guy. He allows a single for two runs, and then another single for a run, followed by a homer for 3 more runs. 10-3 game. I don't know who was more shell-shocked, the fans or the players. That's my low point.
  3. EddieMatthews
    Of course, it is easy to fault the pitching staff. After all, they have terrible numbers. Even allowing for the disappointment of injuries to Hughes, Perkins, and assorted smaller injuries, The results are not good. Can we fault the coaching? Didn't the Twins have their best record while Neil Allen was out of the picture? Does Molitor need to do a better job of managing the bullpen? I think so. He has tried extending relievers for more than one inning. Sometimes that has worked, other times not. Kintzler on more than one occasion has returned to the mound for a second inning with disastrous results. Jensen followed a great 2015 with a flop in 2016. Can we find some statistics that prove or refute the correlation between pitching and coaching?
  4. EddieMatthews
    Good article and food for thought. I like the stats that remove the opponents stats when facing the Twins. My sense is that the Twins also are poor in clutch hitting. Their record in one-run games is dismal (13-27). They have been shut out 8 times and held to one run 15 additional times. These are examples where the offense has stumbled. I would like to see their RISP as a team as well as other stats that show their clutch hitting. If consistency improves with experience and with a stable line-up, we can have more hope for 2017 offense. That leaves the pitching staff for the new executives to work on.
  5. EddieMatthews
    When a team goes from losing 90+ games in 2011, 12 13, and 14 with veterans and dumpster divers, it shows a team with lost direction. The 2016 team has lost 90+ with a transition to youth. 2017 will show if these youngsters can turn the team around. And of course, there is the question of pitching, especially the starters. There is no youth movement in place yet, just hope for Berrios.
  6. EddieMatthews
    Tightening the defense will improve the pitching results. When a good pitch results in an error or misplay, the pitcher's attitude is tested. In 2017 the outfield should be better. The infield will not be better. Sano, Polanco, Dozier, Vargas (Mauer DH?) and catcher by committee will leave something to be desired. The rotation needs shoring up. After Santana and Santiago (?) the rotation is wide open. Maybe a new coach will get Gibson and Berrios to throw strikes. May or Hughes or Duffey will need to step up.
  7. EddieMatthews
    Joe Mauer has 5 Silver Sluggers. I doubt that home runs convinced the judges in his case. I wonder if BA is a factor, although singles are hardly the tool of sluggers. OPS includes OBP which includes walks. The criteria is not specific, and the award is voted by managers and coaches. So maybe Dozier will get some sympathy votes. A few more home runs and 100/100 in runs and RBI will also help. It may take more than that to overcome Altuve's .340 BA. I heard that Altuve used an email server located in his basement, and hasn't disclosed his health records or income tax filings. He also has said deplorable things about pitching coaches. Just saying.
  8. EddieMatthews
    A good hitting team can have one or two high strikeout hitters in the lineup. The Twins suffered at the start of 2016 with too many strikeout hitters. Sano, Park, Rosario, Buxton, Dozier, Plouffe struck out on a regular basis, often resulting in 10 or more K's per game. We can hope for improvement in 2017. As my financial adviser often says, "Past performance is not a guarantee of future results". The Twins need hitters who can get on base, and who can advance the runners. We don't need more hitters who homer with the bases empty. ABW does not bring anything new to the line-up. He lacks an opportunity as long as there are good options for RF ahead of him. The question is whether he can strike out less, walk more, and control the strike zone. Maybe he can be another Pete Incaviglia.
  9. EddieMatthews
    Given the WAR numbers, it looks like the good teams acquire good players by Free Agency to supplement their draft / development. That usually means spending money and having a good situation that a FA wants to join. The Twins FA signings have been dismal, and expensive. Torii was an exception in that he helped create a positive clubhouse climate.
  10. EddieMatthews
    Dozier's power should result in better pitches to hit for those hitting ahead of him. He was batting 3, 4, and 5 during June and July when the Twins played .500 ball. They had Vargas in that mix in July too. Mauer had a hot streak in that span, lifting his average 20 points. Even with small sample size his results are good as were the Twins. They should keep him in the middle of the lineup. Let him drive in runs and make opposing pitching throw strikes and fastballs to those ahead of Dozier. The problem is a lack of a lead-off guy. Nunez filled the spot until August. There's no one else to set the table. Mauer was tried at lead-off and it didn't work well. Maybe in 2017 we can have Buxton at lead-off. Maybe that won't work out. Too many holes to fill.
  11. EddieMatthews
    Once burned, twice shy. The 2017 forecasts will be dismal. NOT! The spin will come from the new GM and from spring training. The forecast will predict that Buxton, Sano, Park, Vargas, Kepler, etc will all be on the up bounce. Mayer and Dozier will have good years. 81-81 WL, That's my forecast.
  12. EddieMatthews
    If you look at his August results since returning from the DL, Plouffe had a good series in Atlanta but is dismal against the other teams. He is 3 for 27 with no RBIs when excluding his play against the worst team in MLB. Plus he is as slow as ever. He seems to get thrown out on the bases on a regular basis. The showcase is to show he is back to "normal" for an August trade and he showed that he can take a bad hop off the head with no impact on his mental abilities. I expect him gone by September to a contender.
  13. EddieMatthews
    It sounds like the Arcia fan club has adopted a new faux hero in Vargas. He leads the Twins in OPS. SSS. He needs to continue developing and July is history. Face it. Kennys has tapered off. His OPS is half what it was on July 10. He is 2 for August. He is trending in the wrong direction. He needs to play every day and it won't happen in Minnesota. There is a crowd at First Base right now. Plouffe needs to play to showcase his value for an August trade. This pushes Sano to DH. Plouffe may play an occasional 1B too. Mauer, even with tired quads will play 1B and DH. Not much room for Kennys. He has options. He needs to find that July consistency for a season. I wish him the best, the Twins will need him in 2017.
  14. EddieMatthews
    The one consistent theme across Twins history is the dearth of starting pitching. A quick look at the '70 roster has only one memorable (in a good way) starter, Dave Goltz. There's a huge gap between Jim Kaat, Jim Perry and Bert Blyleven and Frank Viola. The gap opened again until Johan Santana closed it in the 2000's. I wonder when it will be closed again.
  15. EddieMatthews
    As other posters have stated, this isn't about Robbie Grossman as much as about the roster challenges in general. Vargas is the big question, now that Buxton is back in Rochester. After a hot July, Kennys is 0-fer in August and has played only 3 games in 10 days. If he is the next Ortiz (as some have stated) he needs to play and show he can be clutch. The next GM needs to fish or cut bait on Byung-ho Park. I see him as the odd man out. A bad decision shouldn't drive more bad decisions. Not a slam on Park, but on the overabundance of DH. Grossman's value is as a part-time outfielder and part-time DH. His OBP should be an asset to set the table for Kepler, Sano, Vargas. Problem is that the Twins already have an institution in the 2-hole. Maybe try Grossman as lead-off? Again, roster issues as this spot is filled with a career .243 hitter.
  16. EddieMatthews
    The Twins (without acknowledging it) began the 2016 season with every position except First Base in a state of flux. Maybe they were still wearing the 2015 model rose-colored glasses. They knew Catcher was in need and traded to improve it. They thought the remainder of the infield was set. Now they see the issues . At Third they are realizing that Sano needs to play there and improve his defense as well as his plate discipline and approach. Polanco is forcing their hand at Short. Escobar has always been a stop-gap and is neither the offensive or defensive standout that is needed. The "weak arm" argument against Polanco may not float much longer. Second Base seems more solid since Dozier got hot, but he is streaky and turns 30 next year. His defense has slipped and when slumping at the plate he becomes a large liability. The good news on the team is the outfield. We now start three outfielders who were in the minors last year and parts of this year. Danny Santana is the only guy who has been on the team all year, and that's because he is out of options. Robbie Grossman has been a surprise fill-in. Kepler looks like a keeper. It looks like Rosario learned something in Rochester. Maybe Buxton will learn something too. The Twins often start a majority of young players each day. It took a disastrous start to open eyes. 2017 looks to be fun.
  17. EddieMatthews
    Twins and TB are playing for last place with the possibility of one team moving past several NL bottom dwellers. Not sure that the Twins need the better draft pick, nor that they could make a good choice if they had it. Hoping that they can win the series and climb out of the cellar. Hitting and pitching are both showing improvements.
  18. EddieMatthews
    Some postings express hope that Santiago will be an innings eater. Doubtful based on his recent performance. He is averaging less than 6 innings per start over the past two years. This is likely due to his high WHIP. He leads the AL in walks this year and led the AL in HRs given up in 2015. Best hope is that he can help the Twins starting pitching staff to tread water until someone else steps up. Santana, Gibson, Santiago, Berrios, Hughes (?), fill in the blank. There's no ace in that hand, nor any deuces. A lot of three-spots and hope. Maybe with some of the youth potential the new Twins GM can lure an ace into the fold next year.
  19. EddieMatthews
    I doubt that the other infielders would want to be throwing to the guy who is least likely to catch the ball. Same goes for pitchers who try to hold a runner. Imagine the best pick-off throw, low to the bag and it hops into right field because of a mental lapse by the big guy. First base is not where you hide a defensive liability. That position is right field.
  20. EddieMatthews
    The new GM will have a lot of roster work to do. When the 2015 roster veterans (Mauer, Dozier, Plouffe, Escobar, Suzuki, Hughes, Santana, Nolasco, Gibson, Perkins, etc.) would have a hard time making most MLB teams, there shouldn't have been much optimism coming into 2016. The minor leagues have not delivered players with solid fundamentals in spite of their lofty expectations. Basic fielding and throwing to the cutoff have been missing. Strikeout ratios and plate discipline, inability to bunt or advance runners also missing. Some fans have been hopeful of Dougie Baseball as the next manager, but he has had these guys at A and AA ball. Pitcher development is non-existent. Yes, there need to be changes in the entire team management structure. Loyalty is a reward for a job well done. The job "well done" has to focus on winning, not just profits. Butts in the seats and sales of merchandise and food will occur at Target Field with a competitive product on the field. I hope Pohlad gets this basic concept.
  21. EddieMatthews
    There's a lot of posts on Jepsen being washed up, pitching for the Saints, and having no value. Remember Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey? They are still pitching for the Orioles and Tigers respectively. Someone will pick him up, and maybe even give the Twins a "player to be named later" in exchange. That may bode well for the Twins regarding Nolasco. The perfume companies are not selling good smells. They are selling hope. So put a little perfume on the pig and peddle Nolasco after the All-Star break. I exoect that Milone will be gone after the break and Barrios will be back in the rotation. We will see how far the rookies will carry us this year. Hope is more enticing than skills.
  22. EddieMatthews
    I have to interject the "chemistry" word into the discussion. When two productive starters (Gordon and Moustakis) go down and then the All-Star catcher Perez follows, it must be chemistry that makes Drew Butera a .306 hitter. He hasn't hit his weight in 10 ML seasons, averaging .190 and weighing 200. This team believes they can win every game. They won the WS by coming from behind and it creates a sense of fear in their opponents.
  23. EddieMatthews
    The Twins have a solid history of paying a premium for a single year of over-performance that includes Mauer and Suzuki. There may be other examples too. It would help if the Twins (Ryan) were negotiating from a position of strength, but it is often not the case. They seem to see a great season, and expect that to be the new norm. OTOH I am not suggesting that the Twins wait for a player to have a crappy season before making a lowball offer. I would suggest that they do a better job of scouting and developing young talent. Having the option to bring up a player is good leverage if the contract negotiation is difficult.
  24. EddieMatthews
    Is there something wrong with the way the Twins handle their prospects and rookies? This year is a good example. Several prospects have been brought up, yet they sat on the bench. Should they be thrown into the game instead? And does every good rookie have to slump in year two? Are the minor league teams not developing these guys?
  25. EddieMatthews
    Indirectly related to this thread... How do the Twins get a month out of Spring Training and have all these troubles. What is ST for, anyway? We have Plouffe, Gibson, Perkins on the DL, not for "injuries", but muscle pulls and sore shoulders. Same thing last year. Are the players doing conditioning and stretching? And we had a competition for the fourth and fifth starter and Nolasco and Milone won. Didn't Duffey earn a spot last August and September? So the competition should have been between Nolasco and Milone, and with Berrios in the wings, the rotation should have been set. As said many times in this and other forums, the relief pitching should have been addressed. And a month into the season, we have a second baseman playing left field, a shortstop playing center, a third baseman playing right, and a catcher plays first. The 2B and 3B are having a competition to see who will break the season strikeout record. Terry has his work cut out for him. Good thing Gardy is waiting in the wings. Maybe we can have a manager playing GM.
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