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rdehring

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Everything posted by rdehring

  1. rdehring
    Can you remind me whether or not Romero has options this year? I think he is out, but then remember something about an extra year...which may have been used last year. If he is out, suspect the enlarged rosters may keep him with the Twins. Also, any news on the status of his getting his Visa so he can join the Twins whenever they start up? I see you included Duran. Do you see him as a reliever? And if so, long-term?
  2. rdehring
    The best part of that interview was his last comment, Go Sioux! Will never understand why the NCAA got a burr under their saddle and won't let UND at least keep Sioux and remove the 'Fighting' part.
  3. rdehring
    In addition to a shoulder injury, Kepler banged up his knee earlier in the summer and dealt with that injury until the end of the season. If healthy, I see Kepler having a better season in 2020 than in 2019...should we be so fortunate that there is a season.
  4. rdehring
    Thanks for the added info on Spahn, Burdette and Buhl. When I commented above, I recalled that game vs. Haddix. Didn't remember who Burdette faced, but recall that he won that long game which I listened to part of.
  5. rdehring
    Burdette was an interesting starter. If memory serves, he always gave up lots of runners, just not a lot of runs. But Spahn was special, probably as good as any lefty to ever play the game. The most wins of any lefty ever, and he missed three of the best years of his career while serving in the Army during WWII. Unlike so many athletes of the recent past, Spahn was a combat engineer who was in the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded a purple heart. He was an old guy when I met him, but just loved the crusty old Oklahoman.
  6. rdehring
    Comparing to other sports got me thinking. Doesn't baseball have the least contact/closeness of all major sports? Should they opt to go with robo umps for balls and strikes would remove one of the three at home plate...I assume he could move a few steps back from the catcher. So that would make the batter/catcher and base runner at first with the first baseman holding him on as the only ones who are real close. Add a few plays where there is some contact throwing out a runner at a base. Plus, unlike hockey and basketball, it is outdoors for most teams.
  7. rdehring
    Got me thinking about my team in the '60's, Seth. Would put Aaron and Matthews up against the Twins top two. Crandall, Logan and Covington were also very good. But after the top two, the Twins depth throughout the lineup would give them the nod. But then my team up and left for Atlanta in 1966, so many of us don't really want to think about baseball and the 60's.
  8. rdehring
    So many unknown's Ted, makes it hard to even speculate. But I agree that if more games are played over a shorter period, the Twins pitching depth will be a factor. As for what the season ends up being, who knows. Wouldn't surprise me if spring training is consolidated in one place with the Phoenix area being the most logical or even only alternative. Expect that once the season begins, however, most teams will be playing at home with a few at some neutral site assuming there will still be some areas where the virus remains a major problem.
  9. rdehring
    This is off topic, Cody, But I find it interesting that no one is posting about the discussions MLB and the union are having about getting the season started with all teams playing in empty ballparks in the Phoenix area. Heck, my wife woke me up with the news that the Today show included it in their 7am news. As for Mr. Dobnak, I believe that when the season does begin he will be one of the Twins starting pitchers. The one question you didn't ask that many of us would be interested in is something along the lines of "how were you so much more successful than most of us expected?" But then I am not certain how you would ask that question.
  10. rdehring
    I think everything is going to be fasttracked, Sconnie. Saw one of the big drug CEO's on CNBC, think it was Abbott Labs on Friday...or maybe JNJ. Anyway, they had a vaccine they were confident will work. Was struck by his quote that they would begin trials by September at the latest which would be completed by the end of the year, at the latest. That would make the vaccine available by the end of Quarter 1, 2021. Three things that struck me were his confidence that this vaccine would be successful, his use of the word latest for both the beginning and end of the test, and the comments made by Joe Kernan after he was finished. Kernan commented on the fact that this is not the type of Exec who would make a comment without being 99% certain what he was saying was factual...or something like that. That would still be another year before the vaccine would be available to the masses. He also mentioned something along the # of doses that would be available, can't recall the exact number but it was in the tens of millions. The more I think about it, believe it was JNJ.
  11. rdehring
    Hey, Fritz. Just read your comments now that Seth brought this back. Are we gonna have ball this summer? Stay safe!
  12. rdehring
    I agree that both Kirilloff and Larnach are almost ready to become the foundation of that next wave of Twins. Hopefully, there will be a partial minor league season for them to gain that valuable experience to be ready in 2021. As for trades, had the Mets asked me about Kirilloff for Syndergaard, my response would have been what else are they going to add. That's how strongly I feel about Kirilloff, and Larnach, now that last year and this spring is behind him. Don't know whether Cruz will return in 2021, so it may be 2022 before your scenario plays out. But sure can see Kirilloff splitting time with Sano at first and DH. Could also give Kepler a blow in right when he needs a day off or is hurting. As much as I like Rosario, can see Larnach in left field on opening day 2021. Kind of like back before Kubel tore up his knee in the AFL. The Twins have not one, but two of the better hitting prospects in all of baseball on the cusp of stepping into the box at Target Field.
  13. rdehring
    This time Scott Boras ain't gonna get what he wants. Maybe they will be ready to start playing games by July 1. Maybe not. Keep their second half schedule, add a week or two into October to get the games needed to play each divisional foe 12 or 15 games. Then on to the playoffs. By pushing the schedule/playoffs well into November, maybe the League championship and World Series get played at a neutral site.
  14. rdehring
    As for the $400 per week paid during this shutdown, have no problem with it. Most will be at home, and if like me spending nothing other than food. But I agree that this is a problem that must be addressed for the overall health of the game. Nine of ten of these young kids should not be forced into poverty while chasing their dream. I would start with a few at the upper end of this group, those minor league players who are on the 40-man roster. Are they part of the union? If not, they should be. There is a minimum for rookies in major league ball. Why not a minimum for those kids once they were added to the 40-man, say 15% of the league minimum. With a $600,000 minimum, that would be $90,000 for a dozen or so who are mostly at AA or AAA. As for the majority, would think if they doubled the 2020 amount over the next few years, it would be fair. Seventy-five guys at another $10,000 and another seventy-five at $5,000 is what, $1,125,000. With current major league payrolls of $100-$200 million, that is less than one percent for most teams. Certainly something that needs to be addressed now that the conversation has begun.
  15. rdehring
    Great article, Nick, thanks. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to watch this group sometime this summer. Yes, they don't have a traditional ACE. But Berrios is close and could become that ACE this year, especially if the season ends up at 110-120 games. Odorizzi likewise should be very good in a shortened season. Hill will probably now be available before Pineda, and he could be that near ACE that makes the difference. I am one who is glad the team isn't giving in to agents demands and signing very good, but not great pitchers like Darvish to huge contracts for way too many years. Really like how they have stuck to their principals. Meanwhile they have created unbelievable depth which will offset one or two of these new guys failing.
  16. rdehring
    The bigger question some of us have, where is Thorpe during this shutdown? Is he in Florida using the Twins facilities? Or is he back home in Australia or somewhere else?
  17. rdehring
    Thanks, Seth. Hopefully, we will have a chance to follow these kids later this summer.
  18. rdehring
    This season is going to be either shortened or cancelled. How does that play into Cruz returning in 2021? Will he be more likely to want to extend his career with 2020 being either brief or not exist? With an extended lay off and another off season, will his abilities suffer? Lots of questions. The great news is the Twins have lots of young bats ready to step in. The most likely scenario I see is Kirilloff playing lots of first base with Sano moving to DH for a good part of 2021.
  19. rdehring
    Thanks, Jeremy. I don't recall what the max was the Twins could spend last year, but see they spent $4.350mm on four players. Gotta believe that was close to their max. Do you know if any of the others got more than $10k...that is the cutoff to not be included in the spending budget, isn't it? I know the Twins spent well over $2.0mm to sign Severino after the Braves were penalized for breaking the rules. Was that in the 2018-2019 budget? Or the year before? Diaz certainly caught my eye last summer as I continued checking how Urbina did and saw that Diaz was doing as well or better. As well as having more power, Urbina seems to be quicker...at least going by the # of stolen bases.
  20. rdehring
    Expect the roster will be a lot more than 26 when the season opens. There will be a spring training, but it ain't gonna be six weeks long. If it is say, three weeks, look for opening day rosters to be 28 or 30 to have extra pitchers for starters who are only going 5 innings at the max. Do they keep extra players all year? Will depend on how many games they try to pack into every month. In a normal season, it is 27 (162/6). What if they try to get that up to 29 or even 30 with only a couple days off which are offset by a double header or two? Got a feeling the players are going to balk at that. But when the owners are saying which would you rather have, 110/162 of your annual salary or 120/162? Obviously, if they push the season into or thru October, that can change.
  21. rdehring
    And count me among those who believe that is too much for this franchise to pay. Although Buxton also misses too many games, think where we would be had they traded him and another top prospect to the Mets for Syndergaard? Means they need to find another way to win. Personally, hoping like heck they have found it with a more than potent lineup and a very deep pitching staff. All they need is one of those guys from Berrios, Odorizzi, Maeta or Hill to step up and be that stopper the last half of the season and the playoffs.
  22. rdehring
    Another example, along with Sale, why it doesn't make sense to either sign or give up too much in a trade for top pitchers. Hundreds of millions of dollars over 7-8 years can kill any team other than the chosen few. Trading multiple top player/prospects can do the same. Really like what the Twins have done to set their pitching staff for 2020. Now should Berrios take another baby step, lets get him signed for the next 5 or 6 years at reasonable dollars.
  23. rdehring
    Will second Seth's comments and those above about Mauer, Morneau and Mientkiewecz. Don't know how good Sano will be at first. Maybe he will be ok, maybe not. Doubt he will be a gold glove candidate, but who knows. Also don't know how good Kirilloff is defensively. Expect his bat will force him into the Twins lineup by this time next year at the latest. Will he be a better option at first if Sano isn't at least adequate? Certainly could see Kirilloff settling in at first with Sano getting about a third of the games there and the rest at DH...assuming Cruz is gone next year, which isn't a given.
  24. rdehring
    As for the trading idea, willing to sit back and wait until it happens for Thorpe or any other Twins player. As this delay lasts longer, the teams are going to be starting spring training over. That means that Thorpe will no longer be behind the others, assuming he is doing whatever throwing they want him doing during the stoppage. Don't know if he is one of the 20 remaining in Ft. Myers, if he is that may be an advantage. Comments I saw this spring from the Twins management seems to say they are very high on him, perhaps more so than the guys he is competing with. That tells me they believe his future is bright. How bright? Only time will tell as with any other prospect breaking into major league ball.
  25. rdehring
    Yes, interesting. We must remember, however, with 15 teams in each league we can't drop interleague games. If you are going to have a 120 game season, there has to be 120 interleague games, or 8 per team. Maybe play each team in your division 15 times (60), the rest of your league's ten teams 6 times (60) and 8 interleague. That would be 128. Gonna have to get going by mid-May to make that work.
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