MN_ExPat

How about...
 
I like turtles!

How about...
 
I like turtles!

Adding an innings eater doesn't do much, if the goal is to win the division. One thing Molitor has done well is, mostly, not wasting his good RPs in bad games. 

3-3 vs. Houston and the Yankees?  The Houston series was a huge improvement over the first 4 games with them, and the Yankees series was a huge improvement over the last decade with them. Sano just out-valued Judge in a head to head, and Rogers-Kintzler is as lethal as anyone. They could use help though, on the mound and in their heads.
 
The Yankees kind of threw the whole buying thing right in the Twins face, and to the teams credit, they pulled out a good win, despite fielding an "interesting" lineup...
So, the Twins should trade 2 of YOUR favorite prospects, along with Tonkin and Pressly, for Sonny Gray right now, while not touching any of my favorite prospects.
 
I don't know much about the Yankee prospects really, but it doesn't seem like they gave up a ransom necessarily to get their deal done.  And, while pitching is the need, it seems like a Shannon Stewart/Cabrera/Hudson type pickup would help.  Speaking of Hudson, remember how angry Johan got when they "sold" him off?  Am I remembering right?

I wonder if some fans are leaning towards sell, largely because of how they feel about our veteran players.  Many Twins fans are eager to dump the likes of Dozier, Mauer, and Kintzler because they don't bring a whole lot of excitement.  And, Ervin Santana will probably never be worth more.  
 
But overall, I think the point is that if we dump one or several of these players, that might be enough to push the Twins over the cliff and drop out of the playoff race, which is not worth it.  I'm also a 'stand pat or slight lean towards buy.'

Talked to him last week. He arrived in Ft. Myers last Tuesday (8-9 days ago).

Another good outing by Melotakis. I don't understand his being DFA'd and really don't understand why no one picked him up.
 
ByungHo Park seems to be putting it together. Could he have value to someone come the end of the month?
 
Great seeing Thorpe go 7 innings. Is that his longest outing of the year? Although I see he threw only 80 pitches, must have been very effective.

Someone yesterday posted that he just got it resolved

The E-Twins were down 5-0 after 2 innings, and 7-2 in the 5th inning. A nine-run eighth innings made it a blowout. They did the same thing on Monday when I wrote the report... 0-0 game through 7 innings, they then scored 5 and 8 in the final two innings. They have some talent.

We say that a home run matters less when it's hit with the Twins down 9-0 than if its tied. The pitcher is just throwing strikes to get the game over, the batter was just swinging for the fences etc.
 
We don't do the same with fielding - we count all errors the same. I've never heard a stat like "runs caused by errors" or "error importance" but they should be. In the same way that pitchers maybe aren't going max effort when you're up 9-0, guys have a different attention to detail in blowouts and close games.
 
Not saying he was lazy, just that the play lacked the urgency of a different situation. Baseball has a long season, I don't mind a guy having another gear for the big moments.

Right there with you Tom! 45 years of watching this team, living and (figuratively) dyeing with them as well. Still remember sitting in my car listening to Kirby Puckett's first game on the radio. Remember the '82? team of Gaetti, Hrbek and others that fulfilled so much promise...eventually. And I remember the second WS team that offered so much hope and promise.
 
And while some want to poo-poo really good Twins teams who couldn't advance, much less win it all, a few years back, there was some real fun and mighty good baseball played in those days.
 
Maybe it's just one winning season in 5 years to this point. Maybe it's just Twins red, white, blue and Klondike gold colored glasses, (my personal joke on the Klondike gold), but I REALLY LOVE this team. "They suck! They're toast! They're done! Oh wait! They won again!"
 
We ALL love our Twins. If you don't, then find another website! Lol But praise or hate Ryan, (or Smith), praise or hate Falvey and Levine, (in their very limited tenure), there is just something fun, hopeful and engaging about this team. Their ultimate destination is unknown, 2017 and beyond. But as a fan, I'm having more fun than I have had in years. Maybe it's the rollercoaster experience...but maybe...just maybe...its because I see the talent, the potential, the way these guys love playing the game, and a future I can see.
 
Can we, just for a second, forget that every 25yo and under player is not an immediate Sports center highlight and enjoy what is building here?
 
Go Twins!
 
Thank you Tom!
 
(Hopping off my soapbox hoping I don't sprain an ankle)

Thank you very much. I appreciate the kind words (and assistance)
 
That's as high a compliment as you could give me. I really appreciate the fact that everybody who built this thing up to where it is today has allowed me to take the ball and run with it as much as they have. It's really an honor for me just to be on here, so I'm really happy people are finding value in the content I'm adding.
 
It hasn't been long, but so far so good. I don't honestly know if I could've kept something like this up last season, but how fun is this? You guys ... it's July 19th and the Twins are a half game out of first place!!! 
 
I spend plenty of time poo-pooing the roster and picking at the Twins flaws, but we're 94 games into this thing and the team is right there. This is awesome.

Dear Twins FO,
I was wondering if you have and game video and statistics to compare myself, Breslow, Belisle and Pressley.
 
At this point, I figure you must have lost the footage and stats. It’s really the only explanation for them being in the majors instead of me. I even talked to an “advance analytics” guy because I know that you like that kind of stuff, and even he was confused.
Anyhoo I’ll send you some video footage and stat comparisons.
Everyone makes mistakes,
Alan Bunsenitz
 
 

Doc describes it perfectly with another level. May God give you the strength to carry on Tom!

Absolutely! You've taken the best sports fan site and actually managed to take it to another level!
 
(No pressure mind you-lol)
 
On a side note, this YOUNG Berrios kid has some good stuff and looks like a keeper doesn't He?
 
On a second side note, sure am glad the Twins, and Berrios himself, didn't listen to claims he was a "never was" after his rough indoctrination to the Majors in 2016. Almost makes you think we shouldn't give up on other talented young players on the team who may be learning/struggling at points.
 
(Nice guy laughter, not the twisted, evil kind)

I just wanted to say these recaps...these recaps are fantastic.
 
Fan(insert modifier of choice here)tastic.

I'm fresh outta bells and whistles, would you settle for a kazoo and a wind chime?
 
FYI, I also just added a really fun postgame interview with Zack Granite, via FSN North's YouTube page. 

Just don't let it happen again. We are now officially entitled to these excellent recaps, with all of the bells and whistles.

Of course, Grossman could be "fielding to the score", which was proven to be a thing a long time ago. . . .

I think he's saying that it wasn't a costly error because it didn't give the other team an extra out nor allow a run.  And with the score what it was, it wasn't likely to lose us the game either.  I don't think anyone's accused Grossman of being lazy, just not very good in left field.  Sometimes it hurts us more than others.  Today, it didn't hurt us much.

To be fair, while any error is bad, Grossman's was a "dropping the ball after a single and letting runners advance error" with the Twins up 5. He didn't throw a ball away or not get to an easy fly ball. We take context into consideration for hitting stats, we should for fielding as well.
 
Anytime the Twins play a LHP, I want Grossman in the OF and one of Rosario/Kepler sitting. But they do need to get Vargas back up. He's nice to 1B/DH in these games against LHP. No need for Polanco to DH.

Agree on Turley as a RP. Could be a find for a shorter stint...if he could just better control of that curve! Bring up Besentiz. I'm OK with Pressly going down until September. He's got the arm, but no consistency at all this season. We also have Curtiss and Rees to look at, at some point.
 
Kintzler, FA, Rogers, Hildenberger, Chargois, Busentiz are all nice pieces to potentially build around next season. Maybe a flier on a LH coming off a bad year, or a failed SP prospect converted to a relief role.

Last year, several of us called for Rogers to be made a bullpen arm at the beginning of the year. Everyone on the planet knew that was his future, but it took time to do. No idea why.
 
I suggest moving Turley to the bullpen, and calling him up. I suggest calling Buesnitz back up. I suggest using the assets they have in the most productive way, not leaving them in the minors and hoping they become something they are not ever going to be. Start there, and see what happens. But using Breslow does nothing for the present, and nothing for the future. It's, frankly, not explainable.

Sorry to disagree... the SEC still sucks

I have no problem with giving Colon another start. The first four innings were good. Obviously he's got to be perfect and get good defense to have any success. Frankly, I'd rather Colon take his lumps against the Yankees and the Dodgers than Gonsalves or Romero. 
 
I'm good with Granite hitting #2. Frankly, he should be #1, but obviously Dozier is going to be there. While he hasn't shown it through the first 4-6 games in numbers, I love the approach. He needs a few to fall in. I'm fine moving him down in the order at this point, but I have no problem with Molitor putting him there.