35 thoughts on “December 216, 2019: Concert Night”

    1. I was looking at a forum post on Twins Daily (desperate times...) and noted the number of college coaches they’ve hired for the system this year. I think it’s pretty astute to hire guys who have shown a talent for working in a developmental role with young men. I’m not throwing shade on the valuable experience or coaching contributions of big leaguers or career minor leaguers, since some of them have demonstrated an ability to be transformative coaches after their playing days end. But if you want to overhaul an organization’s entire player development philosophy, hiring a critical mass of college coaches are a great way to pursue that goal. The front office hasn’t limited their hires to big name schools in D1 programs, either, which means they’ve hired guys who aren’t inflating their resumes simply because their programs get the cream of the crop.

      1. This is one area where I am absolutely willing to give the front office a ton of credit. Their free agent player acquisition leaves so much to be desired, but at least they can identify and hire coaching and development talent.

    1. [Royce Lewis's] swing is cacophonous — the big leg kick, the messy, excessive movement in his hands — and it negatively impacts Lewis’ timing. He needs to start several elements of the swing early just to catch fastballs, and he’s often late anyway. This also causes him to lunge at breaking balls, which Lewis doesn’t seem to recognize very well, and after the advanced hit tool was a huge driver of his amateur profile, Lewis now looks like a guess hitter.

      Still ranked #1 but decidedly less high on him.

      1. He approaches the at bat like a drunk might regard a flight of stairs, only with more flailing. His swing might charitably be described as "gatelike", assuming you remove all but one of the hinges and then let loose a horde of termites on the post. He recently told a coach that he considered curveballs "cheating" and said that pitchers that threw them should be banned.

    1. I’d wager the majority of food preferences that do not stem from medical or religious restrictions are the result of two factors, separately or in combination: poor understanding or execution of appropriate cooking methods, and supermarket-standard produce grown by agricultural systems that prioritize crop yield over other characteristics.

      This includes my strong dislike of mushrooms & tofu.

      1. The only Brussels sprouts I ever liked were at the Red Stag in Nordeast. I just checked and they don't seem to be on the menu anymore. They were blanched and then fried or roasted with a savory seasoning mix and a nice glazed char. Mighty good.

      2. & tofu.

        Oh. Em. Geeeee. Tofu is pretty awesome for all the reasons. I know, I know you're a damn fine cook, but you shouldn't let past experience dictate your future enjoyment. Crispy sesame fried tofu spring rolls with fresh mint, basil and cilantro. Yes and yes. BBQ rubbed and cold smoked tofu (with a side of brisket..... sure it's the brisket, but the tofu is pretty awesome...)??? totes. without a doubt.

      1. IIRC, the "Do Not Eat" warning is not sound medical advice.
        Not that eating a stomach-full would be wise.

  5. Drive to the airport was messy but not bad. Flight will leave on time, but looks like ~15 minutes longer than normal. And only 110 passengers, so 30 open middle seats.

  6. Are the Twins aware they can sign pitchers that weren't already on the team?

    2. I like Romo. He seemed genuinely happy to be traded to Minnesota. He's got fire and sets a great example. He's also best if he's a middle innings guy at this point; I hope they're communicating they want him as depth & a mentor.

      They've yet to name a new bullpen/assistant pitching coach, so hopefully this might help another, better reliever say yes to an offer.

      That said, he's also intriguing if he were to be used as an opener again.

    3. The Twins are like the plain girl who's a lot of fun to be around. You have to hang out with her to appreciate her, and the popular kids don't even give her a chance.

      1. Hopefully, she'll take her glasses off and wear her hair down this time when the postseason comes around so everyone will suddenly realize she really is beautiful.

Comments are closed.