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Troy Larson

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Blog Entries posted by Troy Larson

  1. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/a-look-at-the-managers-with-1000-wins/

    Ron Gardenhire won his 1000th game today in Cleveland as the Twins beat the Indians 7-3. He's now part of a list that now includes 60 managers. Let's highlight some of the managers that are on this list.
     
     
    The Manager with the most wins is the Philladelphia Athletics, Connie Mack, with
    3,731 wins and he's also the leader with the most losses at 3,948. he won 9 penants and 5 World Series while managing the Athletics throughout most of the first half of the 19th century.
     
    John McGraw has the second most wins with 2,763 and lost 1,948. Most of his managing career was spent with the New York Giants from 1902-1932 where he won 10 penants and 3 World Series.
     
    The next three managers on the list are all being inducted in Baseball's Hall Of Fame this year. They are Tony La Russa (
    2,728-2,365), Bobby Cox (2,504-2,001) and Joe Torre (2,326-1,997).
     
    There are eight other managers in Minnesota Twins franchise history that have won 1000 games in their careers. They include: Tom Kelly, Gene Mauch, Bill Rigney, Billy Martin, Clarke Griffith, Bucky Harris, Joe Cronin, and Chuck Dressen. Griffith, Harris, Cronin and Dressen managed the franchise before 1961 when the Twins were the Washington Senators.
     
    Besides Gardenhire, Kelly is the only manager to have spent is entire managing career with the franchise. Harris had three diferent stints as manager: 1924-1928, 1935-1942 and 1950-1954. Harris, who's ranked 7th all time with 2,158 wins, has the most wins in franchise history with 1,336 and the most losses with 1,416. Kelly, has the most wins in Twins history at 1140.
    Harris led the then Senators to their only World Series title in 1924. Kelly would lead the franchise to two more World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.
     
    Gardenhire becomes the 12th manager on the list who hasn't been in the World Series. he also becomes the fifth manager currently managing to reach 1000 wins. the other four Are: Buck Showalter, Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia and Terry Francona.
  2. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/byron-buxton-could-push-aaron-hicks-this-season/
    The centerfield spot is up for grabs this spring and the Twins will give Aaron Hicks every opportunity to be the starting centerfielder come opening day. the future centerfielder is slated to be Byron Buxton with Hicks moving to left. The Twins however don’t want to start Buxton’s service time in the majors if they don’t have to. With that said, Buxton could be the key factor to help determine if Aaron Hicks stays with the Twins come opening day and if Hicks stays up with the big club this season.
     
    Last Spring, Hicks hit well in 73 Spring Training at bats. he hit .370/.407/.644 with6 doubles, a triple and 4 RBIs. When the regular season opened, Hicks’s hitting was a different story. In 281 at bats, he batted .192/.259/.338 with 8 homeruns, 27 RBIs and 37 runs scored. He fanned 84 times and had 22 bases on balls.
     
    Although there weren’t a lot of high moments during the 2013 campaign for the rookie, Hicks’s most memorable game came against the Chicago White Sox. He hit two homeruns and also made an outstanding catch.
     
    Meanwhile, Buxton was advancing up the ladder in the minors. He started the season at Cedar Rapids where he hit .341/.431/.559 with 15 doubles, 10 triples and 8 home runs. He scored 68 runs while driving in 55. He stole 32 bases.
     
    This performance earned him a promotion to Fort Meyers where he batted .326/.415/.472 with 4 doubles, 8 triples and 4 homeruns. He drove in 22 runs while scoring 41. He stole 23 bases.
     
    This season, Buxton will probably be at New Britain barring some miracle where he’d be on the Twins to start the season. However, I think that if Hicks has a terrible spring and the other candidates to play in center come opening day this season such as Alex Presley and Darin Mastroianni have injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised that Buxton would be the opening day centerfielder.
     
    However, I think it’s more realistic to think that Presley or Mastroianni will be patrolling center if Hicks doesn’t do well. If this is the case or if Hicks struggles while playing at the major league level, the call up for Buxton to the majors will happen sooner than later. As for now, the Twins will give Hicks every opportunity to play with the big league club come opening day.
  3. Troy Larson
    Originally Posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/comparing-jack-morris-to-pitchers-inducted-by-veterans-committee/
    Last week, the inductees were announced for the Baseball Hall of Fame. They were Pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine along with Frank Thomas. Along with these players, managers Bobby Cox, Tony Larussa and Joe Torre were inducted by the veterans committee.
     
     

    One player who deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame is Jack Morris. This year, he received 61.5 percent of the vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, falling short of the 75 percent needed to be inducted. Last year, Morris received 67.7 percent of the vote, which was the highest vote total Morris had received.
     
    Morris, who finished his career with a 254-186 career record, would have the highest ERA of any pitchers in the Hall of Fame at 3.90. His next opportunity to be elected into the Hall Of Fame is in 2017 by the Veterans Committee. Now, what I really want to discuss is some of the other pitchers that have been inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame by the veterans committee.
     
    Jim Bunning pitched from 1955-1971 in the Majors, ending up with a win loss record of 224-184. Inducted into the Hall Of Fame by Veterans Committee in 1996, Bunning did not pitch in a World Series. He only won 20 games once and has a lower career ERA than Jack Morris at 3.27. He walked exactly 1000 batters in his career compared with 1390 walks by Morris.
    Bunning fanned 2855 batters compared with Morris’s total of 2478. Bunning struck out 200 or more batters in 6 seasons to Morris’s 200 or more strikeouts in 3 seasons.
     
    Jesse Haines is another pitcher who was voted in by the Veterans Committee. Inducted in 1970 , Haines pitched for 17 seasons in the Majors, most of which were with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1920′s and 30′s. He didn’t strike out has many hitters as Morris with 971, with only 871 bases on balls. He would finish his carreer with a win loss record of 210-158 and would have a career ERA of 3.64. Like Morris, Haines would win 20 or more games in three seasons.
     
    Waite Hoyt was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1969. He pitched most of his career in the 20′s and 30′s, winning three World Series with the New York Yankees in the 1920′s. His Career record was 237-182 with a career ERA of 3.55. He won 20 games twice in a season. he had 1003 bases on balls and 1206 strikeouts.
     
    Burleigh Grimes was another pitcher who was inducted into the Hall Of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964. He pitched in the Major Leagues from 1916-1934. He would finish with a career record of 270-212 with a career ERA of 3.53. he would win 20 or more games in a season 5 times. he walked 1295 batters in his career while striking out 1512. Six seasons he had 100 or more strikeouts compared to Morris who had 15 seasons with 100 or more strikeouts.

  4. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at What Will Opening Day Be Like? | Troy's Twins Dugout
    Hello Twins fans and it's another season upon us! tomorrow, some of you fans and players alike will be braving the cold at Target Field. I wonder if they will postpone the game because the weather forecast is expected to be in the 30's with windchills in the 20's.
     
    Wel, to tell you the truth, it doesn't feel like baseball weather here in Minnesota. Although Target Field is cleared of snow, there's still snow on the ground. Also, it's hardly even cracked into the 50's, something that usually happens at this time of year. To put it simply, it still feels like winter, providing for an interesting atmosphere at Target Field. I thought I'd have a little fun here thinking about what the atmosphere will be like. Not all of my ideas will happen, but it's still fun to predict what it will be like.
     
    At least a couple of generations of Twins fans have never experienced opening day where it's in the 30's with snow still on the ground and you're outside. There have been opening days where it was cold and snowing outside, but the Twins were under the tafflon roof at the Metrodome for 29 seasons. So, here are some ideas of what I think opening day should be like tomorrow although I doubt if all of them will happen.
     
    Most of you have heard of the recent creation of the homer blankie. Well, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of people bringing a sleeping bag to the park to stay warm in. Or how about wearing a snowmobile suit. Fans will be wearing plenty of layers that for sure.
     
    The next thing I can see happening is the beer vendors standing out in the cold with limited sales. They wonder if they should have stayed home and not have bothered showing up to work. And oh yeah, this cold weather will stimulate sales for hot drinks like coffee and hot chocolate. Minus the sale of the hot beverages, the concession sales Will be as slow as a turtle.
     
    Now, here's something which I doubt will happen. The Twins should play Christmas Carols between innings. That's what it feels like to me outside. It feels like it's still winter and that it should be Christmas season instead.
     
    Usually when I think of opening day, I think of it being at least in the fifties and at the very least, very little snow. Now don't think that I'm not looking forward to the Twins season starting. However, when it still feels a bit like winter with some snow on the ground, it doesn't exactly feel like baseball weather.
     
    Moreover, Major League baseball shouldn't have had the Twins open there home season this early since they play outside in a northern state where there's still a chance that the weather could still feel like winter. Luckily it's not snowing or it would really not be good. Although I'm not actually going to the game, the current weather doesn't feel like that the baseball season's here yet.
  5. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/if-valencia-does-well-it-could-create-an-interesting-situation-for-the-twins/
     
    Today, Danny Valencia Will be in uniform and is expected to start at third Base for tonight’s game. Valencia replaces Trevor Plouffe Who has a sore thumb and was placed on the 15 day DL retroactive July 20.
     
    Valencia was batting .190 with 1 homerun and 11 RBI before he was given a one way ticket back to Rochester in early May . While with the Red Wings, Valencia batted .250 with 7 homeruns, 37 RBI and 30 runs scored.
     
    Plouffe has hit 19 homeruns with 37 RBIs while batting .259 with 44 runs scored. He’s not homered since before the all star break.
     
    If Valencia does well this time, it could create an interesting situation for the Twins. Granted Plouffe can play in the outfield, but it would make it more crowded. The only way I see Plouffe being an everyday outfielder is if either Denard Span or Josh Willingham are traded and it appears that it won’t be very likely. Also, it’s possible that if Justin Morneau’s traded, Plouffe could slide over to first base, but again I don’t see it likely to see Morneau dealt.
     
    Another senarial is Valencia gets traded by the nonwaiver trading deadline which is this Tuesday, but again it’s only a few days to up Valencia’s trade value and teams wouldn’t be likely to give a lot in return for him. You could also trade Plouffe, but he’s currently on the DL and won’t be available until early August.
     
    What the Twins do if Valencia does will this time is certainly something to ponder. Where would they play Plouffe? It’s possible that Plouffe is once again a utility player, but I think you’d want to keep his bat in the lineup.
     
    There’s however one thing certain. If Valencia wants to stay with the Twins, he needs to prove himself to Ron Gardenhire and the Twins coaching staff. There’s nothing better than an opportunity for him to make a statement that he belongs here in the majors.
  6. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/
     
    Recently, I've been thinking about the homerun race between Trevor Plouffe and Josh Wilingham. No, it's not as dramatic as the race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris. However, it's still fun to follow Plouffe and Willingham as they battle for the team lead in homeruns.
     
    For several weeks now, they've been battling for the team lead. Plouffe hasn't hit a homerun in over a couple of weeks. Willingham last homered in Saturday's los to the Oakland Athletics. They've homered seven times on the same day in June and six times they've homered in the same game.
     
    Because of this back and forth battle between these two players, I've been thinking that there ought to be a slogan.
     
    The slogan should be this. "One is willing to hammer the ball over the fense, the other makes it go poof out of the park."
     
    This slogan fits really well. The willing to hammer part I got from Willingham's last name. The other part I got because poof rhymes with Plouffe.
     
    Although this homerun race between Plouffe and Willingham is not like the one between Mantle and Marris, it should provide for a little excitement for the rest of the season. The Twins may not be making it into the playoffs, but at least Plouffe and Willingham could provide some excitement as they battle it out for the team lead in homeruns.
  7. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/even-though-there-were-plenty-of-mistakes-in-yesterdays-win-twins-will-take-the-victory/
     
    Hello Twins fans, How about that game yesterday! It took 15 innings, but the Twins got it done thanks to a base hit by Denard Span that scored Brian Dozier. There were plenty of mistakes for the Twins at the plate. The most glaring is Ryan Doumit grounding out with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the Twelfth. Part of it is the Brewers pitcher, Jose Veras, had already walked two in the inning and was behind to Doumit with no strikes.
     
    Also, the Twins hit into two double plays, one in the fifth inning and one in the sixth inning. If it weren't for those double plays, the Twins could have scored more runs and have the chance of playing only 9 innings.
     
    Despite all of the mistakes, the Twins will take the win. Usually, who ever plays better wins the game, I think the Twins actually played better despite the fact that they made more mistakes.
     
    The reason I say that is because of the fact that Ben Revere made some good catches in right field especially in the top of the 11th. If it weren't for that catch in the 11th, the Brewers would have had a runner in scoring position for sure at second or maybe even at third.
     
    So, the Twins should take this extra inning victory and move on. They should use this to build some positive momentum and see if they can get themselves closer to 500 by the all star break. Let's see if this victory can be a stepping stone to a solid season.
     
    I would also like to make an announcement. Earlier tonight, my dad and I hosted a half hour show where we talked Twins baseball. We also touched on some of the divisional races. The name of the Show is called Troy's Twins chat. You can listen to it by clicking on the above link.
  8. Troy Larson
    Originally Posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/should-fransisco-liriano-become-a-full-time-reliever/
     
    Recently, the Twins have moved Fransisco Liriano to the bullpen. Since then, he's made two relief appearances and hasn't allowed a run.
     
    On Monday, he pitched two innings of relief against the Cleveland Indians. He retired the tribe in order in the seventh. In the eighth, he walked the bases loaded before working out of the jam.
     
    Earlier this afternoon, he pitched 2/3 of an inning against the Detroit Tigers facing one batter, retiring the Tigers by means of a double play.
     
    From following Liriano this season, one thing has become obvious to me. Liriano pitches fine for one inning. The next inning, he works himself into a jam and can't think straight on the mound. Even last year, especially later in the season, Liriano was displaying this inconsistency from one inning to the next.
     
    Although this is only a small sample size, but from Liriano's recent relief appearances, it makes it a good idea to keep him in the bullpen. And the fact he was able to work out of pressure situations today and on Monday makes it seem like the logical thing to do.
     
    There are pitchers that have struggled in the past as starters and when they moved to the bullpen, they found success.
     
    LaTroy Hawkins is one such example of a Twins pitcher that found success when he moved to the bullpen. In his first five seasons with the Twins, he never had an ERA under 5. In 2000, he appeared in 66 games, saving 14 and finished with an ERA of 3.39 with 14 saves.
     
    Since then, he's had only two seasons where his ERA was over 5 (2001 and 2010). In his first five seasons, Hawkins pitched to an ERA of 6.92. From 2000-2012 he has an ERA of 3.51.
     
    For me, it makes sense to convert Liriano to a full time reliever. However, the Twins may not want to since they have a salary of $7 million invested in him. Plus, if he returns to the rotation and does close to as well he did in 2006, the Twins could get more in a trade around the trading deadline.
     
    However, because of the fact he's struggled in the past two seasons, I think it would be the best thing the Twins could do. Who knows, Liriano could be a closer in a year or two. And if he's a successful closer, he could make just as much money as he does now, maybe even more. The fact he's been inconsistent as a starter in the past two seasons suggests that this is a good move for Liriano to become a full time reliever.
  9. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/saying-if-only-this-or-that-had-happened-wont-change-the-outcome/
     
    The Twins so far this season have a record of 5-12. One of the reasons for this is the fact that they've not taken advantage of scoring opportunities. They've hit into 19 double plays. Not only that, they’re 8-47 with runners in scoring position in their past five games.
     
    Last night's 6-5 loss featured an excellent opportunity in the eighth inning for the Twins to score. Jamey Carroll reached third base on a single and a two base throwing error. Joe Mauer grounded out to first, Josh Willingham lined out to third, Justin Morneau was intentionally walked and Ryan Doumitt popped up to short.
     
    Matt Capps came on in the ninth and gave up a homerun to Cody Ross that made the score 6-5. Ross had also hit a two run homerun to tie the score at 5 in the seventh inning off of Twins starter Jason Marquis.
     
    And in the bottom of the ninth inning, Trevor Plouffe hits a fly ball to left that almost went over the fence for a two run homerun that would have won the game for the Twins, but died at the last minute and was caught for an out.
     
    You could say if only Capps didn't give up that homerun, then we'd had an opportunity to win, maybe even winning in extra innings since the score was tied when he came on. Or, you could say if only Plouffe’s fly ball to left went a little higher and had gone over the fence for a two run homerun, the Twins would have won the game. The Twins didn't take advantage of their earlier opportunities in the game. Therefore, we didn't win the game.
     
    To create runs, you need base runners. Not only that, but you need to actually score runs. If you don't take advantage of those opportunities when you have runners on base, then you won't win as many games. The team that wins a game is one that makes the least mistakes and takes advantage of the scoring opportunities handed to them.
     
    To say if only this had happened or if that had happened, it doesn’t change the outcome of the game. Once the game’s over, it’s over and the team that loses needs to look back and realize that they didn’t execute when they needed to.
  10. Troy Larson
    This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/introducing-clete-thomas/
     
    Earlier today, the Twins announced that they've claimed Clete Thomas from the Detroit Tigers. To make room on the 25 man roster, the Twins optioned Ben Revere to AAA Rochester after the Twins 6-2 loss to Texas. Thomas will replace Revere as the fourth outfielder and provide some speed on the basepaths off the bench.
     
    In 593 minor league games, Thomas has a batting line of .267/.348/.399 with 41 HR, 246 RBI and 344 runs scored. He's stolen 148 bases and has only been caught 44 times.
     
    Not only does Thomas have plenty of minor league experience, but he's also played in 145 games in a Tiger uniform where he batted .253/.336/.391. He's only hit 8 HR with 48 RbI and 54 runs scored in parts of 3 seasons with the Tigers. He only played in 3 games iwth the Tigers This year before he was reassigned to AAA Toledo.
     
    One of the key reasons for the move was the Twins were short in the outfield at Rochester due to Rene Revera being on the Disabled List. Drew Butera has had to fill in some out there. Also, it provides Revere an opportunity to play every day.
  11. Troy Larson
    this post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/twins-need-to-look-themselves-in-the-mirror/
     
     
    The Twins haven't done well to start the season. They're 0-4 after losing three straight to The Baltomore Orioles and the home opener against the Angels, scoring only 6 runs compared with 20 runs allowed.
     
    Now that they've had an off day to assess where they're at, I think it will be interesting to find out how they will respond. Granted, the Twins haven't made a whole lot of huge mistakes or their bullpen hasn't had to hold a lead, but an off day can do a lot to a team. A team could keep on playing lousy or a team could look themselves in the mirror and clean up the mistakes that have been made.
     
    What the Twins need to realize is they're not hitting right now except for Josh Willingham and Denard Span. However when the hitting does come around, I think it will be contageous.
     
    Another area is the fact that the Twins have made a few mistakes in the field, but I don't think that the fielding has been the biggest issue at the moment.
     
    The Twins are going to have to look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they're not hitting. Three out of the four games we had a shot at winning, but the Twins have only scored 2 runs in the first seven innings of those games combined. It hurts your team when you have to rally late in games. The Twins need to score more runs early.
     
    They also need to avoid hitting into double plays. On Monday, the Twins hit into three double plays, two of which happened before the seventh inning. Those were double plays that snuffed out potensial rallys.
     
    It's early in the season, but the Twins need to win some games. The Twins have two more games against The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This weekend, the Twins will play the Texas Rangers. Next week, the Twins will face the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. Then they're home to face the Boston Red Sox. In all, the Twins have 15 games coming up against these teams.
     
    Point is, the Twins need to win games and they need to look at themselves in the mirror. This is a tough stretch of games coming up. The Twins need to realize that if they start hitting, it will make this upcoming stretch of games easier. And when the hitting does pick up, it will allow the Twins to win some games against tough pitching.
  12. Troy Larson
    A version of this post was published in February. You can view it at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/what-makes-a-good-baseball-broadcast/
     
    It's opening day for the Twins. One other thing, it's the first opening day since 1986 with out the voice of Jon Gordon painting a picture of what's going on on the field. He called Twins baseball for 25 years. To honor Gordo, I thought I'd share my post I wrote in February I wrote on what I thought makes a good baseball broadcast. So, enjoy!
     
    One of the things Gordon made sure he tried to do when calling the games on the radio as he put it, “Make the fan feel like that they’re at the ball park, sitting in the stands with their favorite beverage.” But what does that really look like or rather what does that sound like on radio since you can’t see anything when listening to a game except in your mind.
     
    To start with, the key to a good broadcast is let the crowd noise and the sounds of the ball park tell a part of the story. Corey Provus, the new voice of the Twins stated that his college instructors taught him that dead air was a bad thing to have in a radio broadcast. When he joined the Milwaukee Brewers radio team, he learned from Bob Uecker, the long time radio voice of the Brewers, that dead air was a good thing.
     
    So, how can a radio broadcaster use dead air to their advantage?
     
    I think the key is not telling everytime the pitcher throws a pitch. For example it’s the middle of the game like in the sixth inning. The play by play announcer is talking about some major story that’s taking place in baseball. Then, there’s a pause. In that pause you hear the crowd and a second later you hear a pop as the ball hits the catchers glove.
    “He got him! Swing and a miss!” the announcer says.
     
    But, let’s back up to before we learn that the batter struck out. What do we know when the ball hit the catcher’s glove? Well, we know that the ball was thrown and that the bat didn’t make contact with the ball. And then we learn of the batter missing the ball for a strikeout.
     
    This is exactly what Jon Gordon would say when a Twins pitcher gets a big out in an inning. To me, this is what it’s like for a radio announcer to make the listener feel like they’re at the ball park. They’re using the sounds of the game and crowd to tell what is going on on the field. You can put yourself right there in that imaginary seat and feel like you’re part of the ball game.
     
    And of course when you’re doing a part of the game where there’s more action, you’re more focused on telling the action on the field. You’re telling of when a pitch is thrown and what the batter does since the crowd noise is drowning out the sounds of the ball hitting the glove or the bat hitting the ball. However, I think the key is to leave enough pauses in the broadcast to let some of that crowd noise be heard.
     
    I think another key element is to use the right words to tell the action. If you listen to Gordon’s call of Paul Molitor’s getting his three thousandth hit you’re get the following.
    Molitor for two! Molitor for three and it could be history making! It is! Paul Molitor becomes the first player to get a tripple on his three thousandth hit.”
     
    To me, that’s using the right words to tell of what’s going on on the field. You’re telling that Molitor got his three thousandth hit and you’re telling that Molitor’s going to become the first player to hit a tripple on his three thousandth hit. You’re not telling too much, but you’re telling just enough to give the listener the facts.
    Speaking of stats, I think that having too much stats in a broadcast is a bad thing. You can use stats in your broadcast to point out things, but if you put too much emphasis on stats, I think it takes away from the broadcast. If someone wanted to find out some of the stats, they can go on the internet and look them up themselves.
     
    And oh yeah, let’s not forget the voice. A baseball broadcaster should have a clear pleasant voice to listen too. Many of the best broadcasters in baseball had a pleasant voice. Broadcasters like Jon Gordon, herb Carneal, Ernie Harwell and Bob Uecker to name just a few.
     
    Well, it’s about time to wrap it up. I can’t wait to listen to baseball on the radio! Can you?
  13. Troy Larson
    This post was originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/my-thoughts-heading-into-the-season/
     
    Hello Twins fans! The season is almost here. I thought I’d share with you some of my thoughts heading into Friday’s season opener at Baltomore.
     
    I think the biggest thing different from last year is the club is more prepared. Last year, for of our regulars didn’t play in spring training games until
    like mid way through. In fact, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau didn’t play in a regular spring training game until like 10 days before the season opened.
     
    Also, we don’t have a shortstop in Tsyoshi Nishioka who looks like he’s lost in a storm.
    Rather, we’re heading into a season where Morneau and Mauer have played in most of the spring training games. They both appear to be ready for the season.
     
    The only minor concern I’d have is Morneau’s concussion symptoms flaring up again, but the fact that manager Ron Gardenhire has stated that Morneau will
    be the DH most of the time for the time being makes it seems that this will be less likely.
     
    The biggest concern I have heading into the season is our starting pitching. Both Scot Baker and Jason Marquis will not be with the club to start the season.
    Marquis has missed the past couple of weeks to tend to his daughter who was injured in a bike accident. I think that with a couple of starts at New Britain,
    Marquis will be ready for the season.
     
    Baker is the one I’d worry about more. His elbow has been giving him trouble again this spring. Last ssummer, he went on the Disabled List due to elbow
    soreness. And, of course he’s had elbow problems in the past. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Baker’s not with the club by mid April.
     
    and, of course we don’t know what we’re going to get from Fransisco Liriano this season. This spring he pitched to an ERA of 2.33. Will Liriano be over
    thinking his pitches this season? We’ll see.
     
    One thing I think the fans should watch to start the season is how will Gardy use his bench. For one thing, I don’t really think a starting right fielder
    has actually been finalized. I think it will end up being a platoon type situation between Ryan Doumit, Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe. A few days ago,
    I would have said that Plouffe will be getting the majority of the playing time in right, but the fact that he missed several spring training games due
    to a sore hamstring makes me wonder if Plouffe might spend more time on the bench for now.
     
    Also, the Twins only have two catchers on their big league club to start the season. Gardy may not want to play Doumit as much in the outfield. However,
    at the same time you have Revere and Plouffe on the bench to take over in right if Mauer was to be injured in a game when both catchers are in the field.
     
    Well folks, it’s time for me to wrap it up. Twins baseball is less than 48 hours away. So, let’s play ball!
  14. Troy Larson
    Original Post from http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/will-the-twins-carry-two-catchers/
     
    Recently, there's been talk that the Twins will carry only two catchers. Those two catchers would be Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit. However, I don't think the Twins will keep only two catchers. Let's take a look at the reasons why I don't think this is the case.
     
    The original plan for Doumit heading into the season was for him to be the main DH. That plan might be up in the air right now due to the fact that Justin Morneau has stated that he'd prefer to DH to avoid suffering the concussion symptoms playing at first base. If this is the case, Then Doumit will probably be playing some at first base and or in the outfield depending on how the roster shakes out. With three catchers on the club, this would provide for more flexibility to put Doumit in the field or as the DH.
     
    Also, the possibility is there that either Mauer or Doumit is the DH and the other is behind the plate for a game. If the catcher that's behind the plate gets injured, then the catcher who's the DH would have to come in the game. This would mean the Twins lose the Dh and the pitcher would have to bat.
     
     
    Of course there could be an argument to be made that there are too many people on the club to play first base and in the outfield, along with being the DH. The talk now is Chris Parmelee has a good shot at making this club out of spring training with Morneau's recent comments. Therefore, you have another person to play first base if the catcher playing first base gets hurt.
     
    To look at the roster picture more closely, let's name the guys that will or could be on the roster for players that could DH and play first base and may also play in the outfield.
     
    Joe Mauer: First Base/DH
    Justin Morneau: First Base/DH
    Chris Parmelee: First base/Outfield
    Ryan Doumit: First Base/Outfield/DH
    Trevor Plouffe: First Base/Outfield/DH
    Luke Hughes: First Base/Outfield/DH
     
    I didn't name Joe Mauer as also possibly playing in the outfield although he played a little there last season. I don't think it's very likely that he'll be playing there this season for the fact that they've other options to play there and plus the fact Mauer hasn't played in the outfield a lot.
     
    Also, I didn't mention Chris Parmelee as a DH because I think the Twins would want him to play in the field. Plus, I think the Twins are more likely to have Parmelee on the club if the plan is to have Morneau be the primary DH.
     
    But, this leaves me with one last question. Who would take the open roster spot if the Twins do have only two catchers?
     
    The logical conclusion for who'd take the open roster spot would have to be a player who could play shortstop. the last possible player that could play shortstop would hav been Pedro Florimon, but he was sent to the Minor League camp this morning.
     
    Because of the roster picture, I still think the Twins will have three catchers on the team to start the season. It would allow for the flexibility to use one of them as a DH and keep that person in the game if the player catching gets injured. Even with the flexibility of having multiple players who can play at first base and in the outfield, along with DHing, the Twins would be wise to keep three catchers on the big league club this season.
  15. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/Recent-Events-Give-More-Opportunities-For-Players-To-Step-Up/
     
    Hello Twins fans and I'm back from Fort Myers where I went to one spring training game. I also listened to a lot of basketball action and went for walks on the beach. Withrecent events that have taken place in the Twins camp I think it's time to revisit the roster picture.
     
    First of all, Tsuyoshi Nishioka was sent to the minor league camp early last week. Although he'd been doing ok at the plate this spring (.240 average, 1 RbI and 1 tripple in 25 at bats), he was like a sieve in the infield. Nishioka was projected to be on the roster as a utility infielder, but now that roster spot is open. Who gets that roster spot could be based upon some other factors that I'll go over.
     
    One of the factors would have to be what role Justin Morneau plays on the team. There's talk now that he might be the DH with a revolving door at first base consisting of Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit and Luke Hughes. There's also the possibility that Chris Parmelee could potensially be in the mix for the first base position. Parmelee this spring has been given plenty at bats (42) with a batting line of .286/.362/.571 with 3 HR and 8 RBI with 10 runs scored.
    Parmelee however has only played as high as Class AA in the minors, but does have a little major league experience since he played last September with the Twins. The Twins front office has said that they're not afraid to promote someone from AA level.
     
    Another factor that could determine who fills Nishioka's spot on the Twins roster is the fact that manager Ron Gardenhire has announced that Josh Willingham will move to his more natural position which is left field. Willingham was projected as the Twins starting right fielder, but it was apparent that Willingham is better suited for left field.
     
    With Willingham now in left, this means that right field is open. Initially, it was projected that the starting outfield would be a platoon of Ben Revere and Trevor Plouffe in left, Denard Span in center and Willingham in right.
     
    So, who will play in right field?
     
    I know one thing. The starting everyday right fielder will not be revere. He doesn't have a strong throwing arm and you want your right fielder to have a strong arm. Plus the fact that Revere has been playing all over the outfield suggests that he might be considered as the fourth outfielder. This would also add some more speed on the bench which the Twins could use late in games for pinch running purposes.
     
    As for Trevor Plouffe, he's been slowed recently by a sore hamString. This spring Plouffe is batting .276/.344/.310 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. The fact that he has no options makes it likely that Plouffe will be on the Twins to start the season barring any injury.
     
    And, I've not mentioned that Parmelee started today's game in right field. I think the fact Parmelee has had a solid spring has made him a possible candidate to start the season with the club.
     
    There's one other option I've not discussed. Joe Benson is one of the Twins most prized prospects in the higher minors. Like Parmelee, he too has only played as high as AA. Also like Parmelee, Benson has played in the Majors last fall.
     
    This spring, Benson has batted .250/.311/.425 with 2 HR and 10 RBI with 4 runs scored. I think that Benson also has a shot at making the club perhaps as the starting center fielder and Denard Span moving to right.
     
    A couple of other possible players that might have a shot at making the club are Sean Burroughs and Mike Hollimon. Both have had solid springs at the plate. Hollimon is leading the Twins in batting average at .474 in 19 at bats with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Burroghs has a .290 average with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
     
    Also, both have had major league experience. I think Burroughs has a better shot at making the club than Hollimon since the Twins have given him more at bats, but I think these players are not as high on the list of potensial players to fill Nishioka's open roster spot.
     
    And of course I've not mentioned Brian Dozier. Well, the only way he will make the club is if he has an opportunity to play shortstop every day. Right now, Jamey Carroll is the everyday shortstop.
     
    Who fills the open roster spot depends on how well the players do the rest of spring training. Also, the role morneau plays on this club will determine if they might want someone to be able to play first base.
     
    I actually think that Morneau will be playing the majority of games at first since I've not heard of any reason he can't play there. The only thing is he's not done well at the plate, but the signs are there that he's coming around as far as hitting goes.
     
    In the end, it's more opportunities. Opportunities for players to step up and make a good impression.
  16. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/When-Do-Fans-Get-Excited-For-A-New-Baseball-Season/
     
     
    With the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having, I’ve been pondering on the Question. When Do fans get excited for a baseball season? The answers to this are numerous and I think it depends on the fan. There are those fans that just like to be at a baseball game, but I think more of them get excited when the weather gets warmer or when the players start to get ready for the season.
    For me personally, I think I get more excited for the baseball season when spring training starts, usually in mid February. I know the regular season is almost here and that I’ll be able to listen to the Twins games again on the radio. I even enjoy listening to Spring training games.
    Spring training allows me to follow the progress of players, especially those players that are competing for open roster spots. Also, spring training tells me that warm weather is almost here and it makes the remaining days of winter go by faster.
    And even in the offseason, especially during the week of TwinsFest, I get excited for the season. Just hearing the players talk baseball makes it seem not so cold outside. I know that in the next few weeks, spring training will be starting.
    And when I talk to my friends about baseball, even in the offseason I get excited for the season. However, when spring training comes around, then my excitement for a new season picks up. I know that soon I’ll be able to be outside at the ball park in the stands following the action by radio with the Twins broadcast team and vendors calling out ”hot dog” and ”beer” as they go bye selling their products. being in the stands allows me to feel like I’m at the ball park cheering for the Twins while following the game on radio.
    The recent warm weather we’ve been having has given me the urge to want to be outside at Target Field at a Twins game. I can’t wait for the season to start and I think most other baseball fans feel the same way I do.
  17. Troy Larson
    Here's what Dad and I discussed on Troy's Twins Chat. Dad and I talked about today's game. We discussed iwhether or not the Twins are buyers or seller. Also, I previewed the series with the not so Mighty Whities of Chicago.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/07/24/troys-twins-chat

  18. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins fans. Here's a run down of what dad and I talked about on tonight's show. My dad and I talked a little about our experiences at FanFest. We also talked about the All Star game itself. We also discussed upcoming roster moves for the Twins. To top it off, Dad and I made some predictions as far as the playoff picture is concerned. And one more thing, I commented on the Yankees fan who's suing ESPN for 10 million dollars.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link.
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/07/18/troys-twins-chat
     
     
     
    If you want to subscribe to the podcast, look for the Troy Larson Show on ITunes.
  19. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins Fans. Here’s abrief look at what dad and I talked about on tonight’s Troy’s Twins Chat show. We started off by discussing the recent week’s play for the Twins in Boston and Detroit. Also, I gave the pitching probables for the upcoming series against the Chicago White Sox. Towards the end of the show, we discussed Tony Gwynn and debated who was the best hitter since Ted Williams.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link.
     
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the

    -troy-larson-show/2014/06/19/troys-twins-chat

  20. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins fans. Here's a brief look at what Dad and I discussed on tonight's Troy's Twins Chat. We talked about the draft that was held last week. We also talked about Pinto being sent down because there weren't enough at bats for him since the Twins signed Kendrys Morales. Also, we ccommented on Mike Pelfrey and Aaron Hicks. Plus we gave the pitching probables for the Detroit Tigers Twins series coming up this weekend.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/06/13/troys-twins-chat
  21. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins fans. Here's what dad and I discussed on tonight's Twins show. We discussed tonight's 6-2 loss to the Brewers. We also discussed how the Twins Brewers series doesn't really seem to be much like a rivalry anymore. We ended the show by talking about some of the headlines in the Major Leagues.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link.
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/06/03/troys-twins-chat
    Also, you can subscribe to the podcast by searching for The Troy Larson Show on ITunes.

  22. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins territory. Here's what dad and I talked about on tonight's Troy's Twins Chat. We talked about the recent performances of some of the Twins players this season. We especially talked about Phil Hughes, Brian Dozier, Kurt Suzuki and Glen Perkins. I mention the Urinal troughs from the Metrodome up for sale. We also talked about the incident of Miguel Olivo biting of a teammates ear. And I talked about Prince Fielder out for season.
     
    To Listen to the show, click on the following link.
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/05/23/troys-twins-chat
  23. Troy Larson
    Hello everyone. Here's a summary of what was discussed on tonight's show. Dad and I reviewed today's game. We talked about the performances of some of the players on the Twins. We especially talked about Aaron Hicks. I suggest that Twins fans call up anyone they know in Boston and tell them that, "The Curse Of The Babe's back."
     
    To listen to the show. Click on the following link.
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/05/16/troys-twins-chat
  24. Troy Larson
    Hello Twins fans! Are you sick of the MFL draft coverage? Then check out my Twins podcast which will be live at 10 CST. My dad and I will set you straight if you're all confused regarding the roster moves. I'll also be commenting on the issue of baseball related podcasts being removed from ITunes.
     
    To listen to the show, click on the following link.
     
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-troy-larson-show/2014/05/09/troys-twins-chat
  25. Troy Larson
    Originally posted at http://troystwinsdugout.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/having-13-pitchers-can-cripple-a-team/
     
    For most of last year, and almost all of this season so far, the Twins have carried 13 pitchers on their 25 man roster. However, having a 13 man pitching staff has it’s drawbacks, especially when you have a player who’s day to day as in the case of Joe Mauer, who’s currently day to day with back spasms.
     
    With one less player on the bench, you don’t have as much flexibility. On Monday, the Twins had all three catchers in their starting lineup. Last night, Trevor Plouffe was the DH with Eduardo Escobar playing third.
     
    As you can see, the Twins were hamstringed. On Monday, they only had two infielders on the bench in Danny Santana and Escobar. Luckily, both of them could play in the outfield if needed. The real issue would have been what do you do for your backup catcher. More than likely, if Kurt Suzuki was injured during the game, Chris Herrmann would have had to shift from right to catcher with either Escobar or Santana playing in the outfield. If Josmil Pinto was to move from dH to catcher, the Twins would have had to give up the DH spot in their lineup.
     
    Last’s night’s game would have presented it’s own challenges as well. The challenging part wouldn’t have been so much what to do for a backup catcher since Pinto was on the bench. the challenge would more likely come from if an infielder was hurt. The Twins did have Pedro Floremon on the bench, but he’s best suited for the middle infield.
     
    Since Plouffe was the DH, the Twins would have to had to give up their DH spot if they needed Plouffe to come in at first or third. Plus, Plouffe can play in the outfield if there’s an injury to one of the outfielders.
     
    When you look at the roster as it’s currently set up, there sin’t a lot of flexibility. Plouffe, Santana and Escobar can play in the outfield if needed. However, the fact that there are only two players on the bench really cripples your team, especially when one is your backup catcher.
     
    The word is the Twins will be making a roster move soon to replace a pitcher with another outfielder which will help resolve the short bench. Oswaldo Arcia is currently at AAA Rochester where he’s batting .333/.379/.444 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Also, Mauer should be returning soon since he’s back is feeling a lot better.
     
    As you can see, having a 13 man pitching staff can cripple a team significantly, especially when you have a player who’s not playing because of an injury. Not only that, but when you don’t have a lot of players that can play multiple positions, that will cripple your bench even more significantly. If the Twins can go down to a 12 man pitching staff, it will significantly help the club.
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