110 thoughts on “2019 Game 108: Minnesota Twins at Miami Marlins”

    1. Thanks for the pinch-hit Sean - east coast night games are great ... day games sneak up on me.

  7. So, I left Yamamoto in my fantasy lineup because taking him out would have ensured a Marlins shutout. Willing to take one for the team.

    1. Perhaps the wiser karmic move would have been to avoid the pickup and/or drop him and render him Fantasy irrelevant, but since he was already in my orbit, I presume the quantum fantasy entanglement would still apply. These things are tricky.

  9. Polanco really needs to get his sh!t right. He’s dropped below .300 after posting .133, .212, .267 over his past 7 games and .206, .282, .429 over his previous 63 ABs (2 weeks-worth of games).

    1. He's been very average after May. The low BABIP for July has me hopeful August will look better.

      Split PA BA OBP SLG OPS BAbip sOPS+
      April/March 113 .320 .389 .600 .989 .346 164
      May 124 .355 .427 .582 1.009 .393 168
      June 129 .288 .320 .398 .719 .314 89
      July 110 .230 .291 .440 .731 .237 89

  16. Rude if Bux to strike out. Is Pineda coming back out?

    On the other hand, seeing a reliever lead off next inning would be cool.

  18. Duffey throws zero balls to the first batter, two for the second batter, and then four to the third batter.

    1. The fourth batter also gets four balls. He did get another foul ball at least.

      Finally the fifth batter swings at ball four to get the third strike.

    2. I was going to say he was part of the team in the intro, but the lineup didn't include him and I hadn't seen a corresponding move of who was off the roster.

        1. I was thinking the same (jet lag). I know pitchers are professionals, and they travel a lot, but I can’t imagine Rocco & Wes know all that much about Dyson, and I certainly wouldn’t put him in a day game having arrived in Florida after being traded less than 20 hours ago ... after flying West to east through four time zones.

          2. Giants played in Philadephia yesterday. That may be why they put him in the game. Same time zone and not that long of a flight.

      2. This way I'll be able to turn it on at a normal time, and there'll still be almost a full game to go!

  37. Turned game off in 8th inn to walk downtown Denver 16th street mall. Check score while kids stop for food. I see that Dyson is a perfect fit in our bull pen.

    1. Hopefully his next outing goes better or it'll be way too tempting to use a vacuum cleaner reference.

      1. I'll look it up. Going to red rock ampitheatre for concert then water world all day tomorrow

  39. I'm no longer confident this team even holds on to the AL Central. 3 run lead blown with our "ace" trade deadline pick up. What a fucking joke.

    3. Because we went 5-2 against CHI and MIA when we could've gone 6-1?

      The Yankees haven't kept a team from scoring under 4 runs in a game in the last 11 games (that's since July 19th). In that stretch they're giving up 8.5 runs a game.

      The Twins are top 5 in the big leagues in Team Hitting WAR, Team Starting Pitching WAR, and Team Relief Pitching WAR. They're the only team to which that applies. What, exactly, should they have done? Get Greinke? He was not available. Literally not available.

      1. An earlier tweet in his thread brings up Kimbrel. Here's his line in 2019: 6.17 ERA, 7.25 FIP, 12.3 K/9, and (skip this one Rhu_Ru) 6.2 BB/9. Batters are hitting .261/.375/.609 for a .399 wOBA. Nelson Cruz is at .400 wOBA this year.

      2. Because we went 5-2 against CHI and MIA when we could've gone 6-1?

        No - because we have gone 20-20 and who knows how many of those 20 losses have been blown by the bullpen (i don't have the time or enough desire to figure it out right now)

        What, exactly, should they have done? Get Greinke? He was not available. Literally not available.

        Its logical fallacy to assume that the Twins are above criticism if a fan isn't able to point out what the should have done. This front office needed to get a 2nd playoff starter - they didn't do it.

        1. This front office needed to get a 2nd playoff starter - they didn't do it.

          Could they have though? There just wasn't much available this year.

          Stroman: I assume Stroman isn't your idea of a second postseason starter. Even if he is, it was a weird trade where the Mets got him easily despite the Blue Jays reportedly rebuffing better offers.
          Bauer: I think he fits your definition but there's no way Cleveland helps the Twins here.
          Greinke: I think he fits but I'm not sure the Twins could have gotten him. They have the farm system for it but they don't have MLB-ready, highly ranked pitching prospects the Diamondbacks got from the Astros. The Diamondbacks seemed to want to reload for 2020-2021 and trading with the Twins doesn't accomplish that. BR shows Arizona as below average in pitching but great for positional players. It's doesn't seem to be a good matchup plus Greinke had the Twins on his no-trade list. His no-trade list had good and bad teams so it's hard to say how much was him not wanting to be there versus extracting a trade bonus.

          One more hypothetical trade: Syndergaard. Ben and Sam from Effectively Wild thought Syndergaard for Buxton was somewhat reasonable* but I wouldn't do it. Pitchers are risky, pitchers that throw that hard even riskier, and Buxton has better chance of improving. Syndergaard could end up being a younger Matt Harvey.

          * Someone correct me since I wasn't listening completely and half-remember it now.

            1. Even if their WARs and projected WARs are the same, I'm almost always going to trust a position player more to stay healthy (though Buxton has been bad there, too) and Buxton has an extra year of control.

              But I do wonder if there is a cascade effect that WAR doesn't account for. Does Buxton make the corner outfielders better? Does he save the bullpen by letting the starter go an extra inning because he got them out of a jam?

    1. It was. There have been a surprising number of those this season. Maybe that's the cost of being legitimately good: feeling like you should win makes the losses seem worse. I honestly don't remember from 10 years ago, or whatever.

      1. If they hadn't been up by 3 heading into the 9th, I'd have just called it a bummer. These things happen, and all, but man.

      2. I believe that's right. It's not like we have Ron Davis on the team.

        In 2009 we were behind most of the season (and didn't have Mauer in April) and had to catch up to Detroit, so I am guessing each loss didn't feel quite the same.

      3. A below average bullpen combined with one of the best hitting teams ever doesn't help. They're in nearly every game thanks to scoring a ton of runs and the starters being good enough.

  41. Friendly reminder. This team is heading into the soft part of its schedule already on pace for a 100 win season. If you're bitching about that, then...I don't know what to tell you.

  42. Take this for what it's worth - as prone as I may be to pessimism and as critical as I might be with my sports teams - I have never told another fan how to be a fan.

    To me telling someone how to be a fan is the most arrogant ass hole move that can be made. The "if you don't like this team go be a fan of another team" is a pathetic and ignorant trope.

    I get that there are fans who want to identify with this team and do so in a way that is positive and optimistic. I don't tend towards that kind of personality or thinking - but I don't denigrate or begrudge those fans who do.

    This team is deserving of criticism. They are currently on an 0-13 playoff losing streak. They have put together a great lineup of bats with okayish defense anchored by the best defensive CF in the league. But the pitching is a mess. They have 1 playoff worthy starter and the bullpen is a shitshow. They did not do enough to fix that. Baldelli should not have sent Dyson out today. Cleveland is flat out looking like a better team right now. The only thing giving oddsmakers any reason to favor the Twins is the difference in schedule.

    So I will "enjoy the ride". But I will enjoy the ride the way I fucking want to thank you very much.

    1. There is no one outside of Jim Pohlad currently on a 13 game losing streak. That's like holding the current Vikings responsible for Bud Grant

      1. The fish does rot from the head, though. That's why I won't say a good thing about the Wolves until Taylor sells. (of course, they are far more entertaining when things are jacked up than when things are going good. I've embraced that chaos.)

  43. My last thought on the matter - the Twins are a small market team - small market teams need as large a fan base as possible. Telling sections of that fan base they aren't wanted and that they should "GOSO" doesn't exactly help (I had to go look that one up LOL). Interesting to me that it is usually the same group of people who point out the increased attendance and TV ratings in support and praise of their team that also get overly defensive of that team and tell other fans they aren't welcome unless they are willing to be as positive and apologetic of the team as they are.

    I have become a fair weather fan as I enter my 40's and now have teenagers to be a father to and a business to run. The Twins didn't earn or deserve much of my time this last decade. This year's team has earned and deserves my attention. I would love to be wrong with my prediction (which is that they still win the AL Central but then go 0-3 or 1-3 vs either Houston or NYY) but it doesn't make me wrong or bad to not be optimistic - just different.

    1. For whatever it's worth, I think you may have the wrong interpretation of GOSO.

      Spoiler SelectShow

    2. The Twins didn't earn or deserve much of my time this last decade.

      Sure but you then missed how critical this site was of the team. Now they're good again, in large part from the new front office, and they're fun to watch. I haven't looked in depth at site metrics but they were way up for the second half of 2017.

      However it feels that in following the team you've gone from pessimistic to entitled. You alone know The Way to win in the postseason and when they don't achieve exactly what you want then they're consigned to failure. It's exhausting reading that. Check the Cup and CH also expressed disappointment at not doing more. Criticism of this team abounds (paging hj on offseason bullpen moves) but it's not the end.

  44. Sure but you then missed how critical this site was of the team.

    Totally fair point.

    Now they're good again, in large part from the new front office, and they're fun to watch

    Again fair point. And just like I shouldn't assume your lack of negativity doesnt mean you arent at times frustrated you shouldn't assume my lack of praise or positivity means I dont give this FO any credit at all.

    However it feels that in following the team you've gone from pessimistic to entitled.

    That one is totally your bias and interpretation. I dont feel entitled nor owed anything by or from this team.

    You alone know The Way to win in the postseason and when they don't achieve exactly what you want then they're consigned to failure

    I know some sports executives personally. They arent the genuises that some fans want to think they are. Having said that I dont think I could or would do a better job or that I alone know what needs to happen. But I do wish the team had done more and I'm not going to be shamed or convinced otherwise by fans that want to be defensive or give the FO every possible benefit of the doubt.

    As to failure. I guess thats all relative. The 02-09 seasons dont feel that long ago to me. I still have vivid memories of 87 and 91. Yeah I'm old. 90 something or even 100 wins but less than 20% odds in the ALDS just doesn't get me very excited. I mean I'm excites enough to pay for MLB.tv and watch and come here and comment. But I very much think an opportunity has been missed. And I'm not convinced there is as much of a window as fans want to believe. I hope I am wrong. But my guess is my betting plans will be profitable and that extra money will help soothe the pain of yet another October failure.

    Check the Cup and CH also expressed disappointment at not doing more.

    I don't even know what those are. Imba Utah and Vegas boy born to a dad from Minneapolis thats been a diehard Twins and Vikings fan since the early 80s. I knew SBG and have monitored this version of the site since he handed it over. I'm not a connoisseur of Twin Cities sports take.

    If I'm too negative for you all just let me know. I dont need to be somewhere I'm not wanted. I'm willing to tone down the foul language and even some of the negativity. But I can bring a different perspective if you are willing to listen without taking it personally and I dont need to be agreed with.

    1. The Cup and CH's thoughts.

      They arent the genuises that some fans want to think they are.

      No, but the front offices now aren't like the ones from ten years ago. They aren't smarter but instead have something we never will: data. Understanding FanGraphs, et al, is table stakes and they get decades of scouting and metrics we never will. The Astros deliberately traded for Aaron Sanchez, he of a 6.07 ERA and 5.03 FIP. Ten years ago we would laugh about it but now, everyone knows the Astros aren't stupid and instead they think they can make him better. The Twins don't have the same track record but they are making the same moves with some successes.

      That one is totally your bias and interpretation. I dont feel entitled nor owed anything by or from this team.

      I believe you but the hot takes say otherwise.

      But I can bring a different perspective if you are willing to listen without taking it personally and I dont need to be agreed with.

      I want the perspectives but not the negativity. You can be critical and skeptical the team improved enough without jumping to three blowout losses against the Yankees in October. Reject Yankee Inevitability Syndrome.

      1. I am very familiar with Geoff's hot takes on the Jazz from teh Bookface. He's a very passionate fan with a tendency to go nukular on a regular basis.

        Fir the most part, I find it amusing there because his voice is such a small part of my feed and he's willing to go back and forth a bit, once the white-hot rage has passed.

        Here in game logs, the rage and negativity weighs more heavily.

        Love ya, Geoff. But this community wants you to temper the rage a bit. When you were spoilering your not-swearing recently in a game log, that was genuinely funny because of your known personality here (the occasional blue streak) and the context.

        Pick your spots for the rage, then engage with us more analytically when the replies come. That's more fun for us and, hopefully, for you.

        1. Pretty much this. I'd add that I like the diversity of opinions (as, let's be honest, we can tend to be a bit samey 'round here), so I like Geoff offering something different. Dosage matters too, and with the trade deadline we might have been ODing.

          1. Agree with both of you for the most part. My rub is with the dead horse. Everyone has their right to give their take on how the F.O. is doing. We all have different opinions to how the team should be run and that's fun. Geoff's opinion is welcome. It's just that every time a game goes the wrong direction he jumps in with the same complaint. People have asked "what would you do... who should we have signed?" and then we don't get much back.

            Personally, I would have loved to see the Twins make a bigger splash at the deadline, but as Sean and others have detailed up above, I am unsure if there was any move remotely rational out there that we passed up. I liken it to road rage. It's very easy to drive into work and be totally pissed off that people are driving slow or stupid, but there is nothing I can do about it. As a result, I choose not to go into a white hot rage.

            Lastly, there are a few of us who have some battle scars from this site. I, for one, occasionally go off the rails (especially back in the day) and have been bitch slapped a bit by the community on this site. I deserved it. This group has helped me look at the Twins a bit more rationally, versus emotionally. It has helped me enjoy this team much more. There is an old saying my previous boss used to say:
            "If a guy walks up to you and says you have a tail, you may blow it off thinking he is crazy. If a second person walks up and says you have a tail, you may start wondering but still think the guy is crazy. By the time the 4th person tells you that you have a tail, you better crane your neck and see if you have a tail." I hope you stick around Geoff, but I also hope you can process what the group is telling you.

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