46 thoughts on “January 15, 2020: Welcome”

  1. 4ltr:

    Two managers gone in two days: What losing Cora, Hinch means for baseball
    The World Series-winning skippers of 2017 and 2018 are out, and no matter the circumstances, it's a sad thing for MLB.

    Because I guess because they cheated isn't sad enough.

    1. I'm fine with the strongest penalties going to managers and GMs, but I don't think the players involved should just get off scot-free as if they had nothing to do with it. They knew what they were doing, and they knew it was wrong. It seems to me there should be some consequences for that.

          1. "Rob Manfred has determined that there is nothing in the current agreement against name-calling, and starting today those involved will have "Effin' Cheater" prefixing their names in all official media."

        2. Despite Manfred’s claim that he only ever intended to discipline management for any electronically-aided cheating after issuing his memo, one might imagine there are things Manfred could have done that punish the players without setting up a confrontation with MLBPA. I don’t have as strong an opinion as others about whether vacating a title is a good idea, and I don’t really buy the argument I’ve heard from some of the sports media that only leagues with credibility problems vacate titles. (Like it or not, MLB already has a decades-long string of credibility problems — collusion & PEDs, historically, and ongoing questions about electronically-aided cheating & the actual baseball itself.)

          It seems Manfred could — for example — state, as a matter of historical record, that while the Astros won the games they won, both in the regular season and postseason, by cheating in this manner, the club & the players of the 2017 Astros have forfeit their right to be described as or claim the title “World [Series] Champions.” Whether or not it’s possible to prove if the Astros’ cheating actually helped them win, it’s enough to believe the players thought it did in 2017, so treat that as your standard for collective punishment. Let the game results stand, as they can’t be re-run, but take away the laurels won.

          There’s nothing MLB can do to garnish the financial windfalls for Crane, let alone the experience in the moment of winning the World Series, for players, fans, or communities. By not revoking the players’ claim to the title, I’m left questioning whether Manfred believes the World Series’ integrity* is worth defending.

          * I know this might open a can of worms for whatabout-ing the ‘51 Giants’ title, for example. I think it would be fair to say “My seven predecessors as Commissioner elected to not sanction any club caught cheating in a way analogous to the 2017 Astros. I am using my authority to set a new precedent for discipline.”

      3. What I don’t understand is, if Taubman is on the ineligible list for his actions, why aren’t Luhnow — who Manfred blames for creating or permitting the toxic culture of the Astros’ baseball ops — and Crane — whose business ops people oversaw the Astros’ response to Taubman’s aggression Stephanie Apstein and two other women reporters — similarly ineligible? (Ok, I think we all know why Crane wasn’t sanctioned.)

        Lifetime bans for Luhnow & Hinch don’t seem unreasonable to me.

  2. Man, I fell asleep early last night not even thinking about Donaldson, as I assumed any deal with the Twins had no chance. Pretty surprised when I got to work today. Moving Sano to first seems like a good replacement for Cron.

  3. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced.

    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nine-inch-nails-notorious-big-whitney-houston-rock-hall-of-fame-937737/

    While I agree that Whitney Houston was a great performer and artist, she isn't "rock and roll." (Well perhaps the way she died was rock and roll) But I've long given up that it isn't really the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but more the Popular Music Hall of Fame, which of course Ms. Houston most deservedly should be a part of.

    All but one of the rest of the inductees seem quite deserving.... except for one. And it's not Depoche Mode, a band that I just don't like but I know I'm in the minority, so C'est la vie. But the Doobie Brothers? C'mon!

    1. I've stopped caring who gets in or not. My dad has been hunting for a few years that he really wants to visit the HOF. I finally decided just the two of us will go this spring.

      We also decided to pair it with a Twins game against the Indians. Should be a fun father-son weekend!

        1. Speaking of a Cleveland trip, there are also there are a number of fun Twins weekend road trips to Chicago and KC this year . Three for each team in fact. I think I may try to finally get to KC to see a game. Plus I will schedule my annual summer Chicago trip to align with a Twins at White Sox tilt.

          Hey Runner, going to be at Spring Training this year? I will be there Presidents Day weekend. I think we will go Spring Training either that Sunday or Monday.

          1. Unfortunately, no. And next year, we'll be in Ft. Myers a full month (Mrs. Runner retirement gift)...but before Spring Training starts. Yeah, me neither.

            June 14 looks like a good date for a WGOM caucus in KC...

            1. June 14 looks like a good date for a WGOM caucus in KC...

              I like your thinking. That was the KC trip that intrigued me. I may throw something up a little closer to the season start to see how's interested.

            2. My wife and I are considering a trip to Fort Myers in early March. If we do book something, I will be asking for advice on what to do, where to eat, etc.

              1. I stay with my parents when in the area. Unfortunately their suggested places to eat would be the restaurants you literally see on any State or US highway in any town you come across.

            3. That's MS150 weekend, so my crew was eyeing up a visit later in the summer. I think they're also there an August weekend when it is sure to be extraordinarily hot.

      1. I should have prefaced that “in my humble opinion” (which is that the Doobies weren’t very good, except China Grove, that’s a good song, IMHO).

  6. Is there any reason Buxton would be in town right now? Trying to think of a logical reason before jumping to conclusions.

    I suppose it makes sense that he would come to town to celebrate with Sano.

    1. The Twins Caravan starts in five days. He's not in it though. There's TwinsFest several days later. If it's a trade, there's no reason for him to be in town. If he was signing an extension, then that would make sense to be early to TwinsFest.

  7. Question: Collectively, have we been to every ball park? How close are we? I'd guess maybe missing Tor and Miami?

    I've got MN, KC, Cle, Bal, Was, Phi, Mil, and StL.

    1. I'd be interested to find out, too.

      Overlap: Target Field and Mil

      New: all the California stadia: SD (Petco and the old Qualcom), LAD, LAA, OAK and SF.

    3. I went to every Twins / Bluejays tilt in Toronto from 2002-2004. I've also attended games at Coors Field, both stadiums in Chicago, Fenway, Pittsburgh, Rangers stadium in Arlington, Chase field - Phoenix.

      I overlap with philo in MN, KC, Cleveland, and with mike for LAD, LAA, Oakland, and SF - I'm so old it was Enron field when I first saw a game there.

      I may see a game at the trop this summer.

      1. I am embarrassed to admit that I still have not been to a Giants game, in 20 years. Several A's games and a couple 49ers games, but no Giants.

    4. I've been to Citi Field. I've been in Miami when the Marlins were playing a few times, but never considered watching them play. That would have been at Land Shark Dolphin Sun Life Stadium rather than Marlins Park.

      1. I've seen the Twins play at Jack Murphy Stadium, The Big A, The Cell, Metropolitan Stadium, the Metrodome, Target Field, old Busch Stadium, new Busch Stadium, Cashman Field (Vegas), Charlotte Sports Park (Port Charlotte), Hammond Stadium (Ft. Myers), and Kauffman Stadium, and I've not seen the Twins at Dodger Stadium and several minor league and AZ spring training sites.

    5. Old Yanqui, Fenway, Camden, Memorial, the Ted, old Busch, Wrigley, Old Comiskey, New Comiskey, Jack Murphy, the Coliseum, Safeco (now T-Mobile).

      And, of course, the Met, Hump, and Target.

  8. Spoiler SelectShow

    Since I did't get in on the Round 3 catcher bonanza and since Killer & Thome are no longer available. Consistency and longevity thy name is "Pudge".

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