Category Archives: MLB

Minnesota Twins, MLB

Looking Ahead

13 Comments

With the Twins' season on life support, the best hope for this team lies in the future. Unfortunately, their best prospect is at least a couple years away, even in the best-case scenario. As most avid fans know, that top prospect is Miguel Sano, who is dominating in the minors at a young age in a way not seen since a certain young catcher was drafted No. 1 by his hometown team, but even that catcher did not show the power Sano has. Of course, Sano hasn't shown the defensive skills and baseball instincts that Mauer had.

Still, Sano has me thinking what could be in a couple years. Sano is dominating at Beloit, so he should be promoted to Ft. Myers before too long. He could conceivably start 2013 in New Britain and the Twins have shown they are willing to skip AAA for the right prospect (such as Mauer), so Sano could be up in 2014. Mauer will still be under contract and if he is still catching, that could be a dynamic duo to build around. I thought I would look at the team the Twins could put around him.

Those under contract in 2014: Mauer, Willingham, Span and Perkins. So, that is a nice start. The Twins have an option on Blackburn, but I can't imagine them picking that up.

Arb eligible: Duensing, Valencia, Burnett, Swarzak, Gray, Maloney and Butera. One solid reliever but not much else. Valencia might be worth keeping in his first year of arbitration.

Serfs/Prospects: Sano, Dozier, Plouffe, Revere, Diamond, Hendriks, Walters, Parmelee, Benson, Arcia, Guerra, Waldrop, Manship, DeVries, Levi Michael, Wilkin Ramirez, Gibson, Wimmers, Rosario, Florimon, Carlos Gutierrez, Slama, Chris Herrmann.

So, here's what I'm looking at:

C: Mauer, Herrmann

1B: Parmelee (Arcia? Sano? Valencia? Plouffe?)

2B: Rosario (Michael? Dozier? Florimon?)

3B: Sano (Valencia?)

SS: Dozier (Michael? Florimon?)

OF: Willingham, Span, Benson, Arcia, Revere, Hicks, Plouffe

DH: Willingham? Plouffe? Arcia?

SP: Gibson, Hendriks, Wimmers, Diamond, Swarzak/Walters/Manship/DeVries/No. 1 pick

RP: Perkins, Duensing, Gutierrez, Slama, Guerra, Waldrop, Burnett

I think that would be a fun team to watch. At least more fun that what we saw the first six weeks of this season or all but a couple of weeks of last season. The starting pitching looks to continue to be a concern along with the second catcher and first base. Rosario at second is a stretch and Michael has struggled in Ft. Myers, but both have higher potential than most of the prospects. Of course, the injuries to Gibson and Wimmers are real concerns. I'd like to think a top college pitcher could make it to the majors quickly, but 2014 would be pushing it. Even if the Twins get him signed quickly, I doubt they'll have him pitch more than a handful of innings after a full collegiate season, so he'll probably still start 2013 in Ft. Myers. The Twins have  had a few college pitchers go from Ft. Myers to Rochester in one season, but that's asking a lot. The good news, is that this roster would be well under the current $100M payroll. The Twins only have about $41M committed to 2014 and Duensing and Butera would be the only players in their second year of arbitration (none in their third), and I doubt either will command much money. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Doumit was re-signed or given an extension. This is a perfect situation for him. A lineup could look like this:

Span
Dozier
Mauer
Willingham
Doumit
Sano
Arcia
Benson
Rosario

That could be fun to watch.

Minnesota Twins

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

95 Comments

first and foremost: i am extremely far down on the list of analysts of our hometown squadron. faaaaaar down. that said, i'd like to query the nation: is it time for regime change? and if so, how far up the ladder?

it's been noted that there are questions about the medical staff. the training staff. the front office. the management. up and down the farm system. what changes are needed?

all of those are valid questions, and a debate in themselves. in what we can more immediately see, how about gardy? he was given the dreaded vote of confidence by the ownership, but is it time for a change to be made? how much of gardy's success has been a fertile farm system that continually supplied him with major league talent?

please don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying that it's time to FIRE GARDY AND VARVA!, but i think we're reaching a point where it's becoming a valid conversation. to be fair, he's had to deal with an antietam of injuries (again, medical staff? training staff?), and bare cupboards in the farm system (front office? farm management?). however, that is nothing new for a lot of baseball teams.

personally i feel that, yes, gardy doesn't have a lot to work with. even so, or maybe even more importantly, he doesn't seem able to manage what he has. gleeman's been banging the platoon drum for years. the rigid lineup by position has been in effect for just as long. why does he (if it is him) have an insistence on redundant pitchers, extra catchers, non-boat rockers, and scrappy middle infielders to the detriment of the rest of the roster? is it time for a manager with a more savvy, problem-solving approach to take the reins? new blood instead of old guard? as an honest question that i'm not quite sure how to answer, what strengths does gardenhire bring to the table in dealing with the situation he has in front of him?

again, i'm not advocating a position, just a conversation...

2012 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 34: Toronto 3, Minnesota 4

3 Comments

Twins winning hand includes the Ace of Diamonds

The Twins find a Diamond in the rough.

Diamonds are forever.

Diamond pitched a real gem.

Diamonds are [a] Gardy's best friend.

Blue Jays cut down by a Diamond.

Forget it. I'll just go with "A very nice outing by Scott Diamond." 0 runs on 5 hits over 7 innings while walking none, striking out 4 and calmly taking a screaming liner off the back of his throwing shoulder.* He gets the W and is now 2-0. The Toronto Ace Opening Day Starter, Ricky Romero, picked up his first loss of the season.

Offense couldn't help but score some runs off of 8 walks (Pussy with 3!) and 10 hits. Unfortunately, they only plated 4, leaving 11 men on base and hitting into 3 double plays (Plouffe! with 2 of them). In the end, 4 was enough to get the win.

Continue reading Game 34: Toronto 3, Minnesota 4 →

History, Minnesota Twins

May 9, 1972: Random Day in Twins History

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I used a random number generator to pick a season from the past with the idea that I would quickly highlight the Twins history that occurred today in that year.  The generator sent me to the year 1972.

Twins 4, Yankees 2 - BR Boxscore

The Twins improved to 13-4 on the young season (only seventeen games played at this point because it was the first year ever with games missed due to a work stoppage).  Jim Kaat kept the Yankees at bay for more than eight innings relying primarily on his fastball (he did not have the feel for a screwball he had developed during the offseason) while Phil Roof scored and drove in a run during a spot start (and was replaced by a pinch-runner who scored an additional run).  Those two, combined with some Yankee frustration, pushed the Twins to victory.
Besides Roof, Bobby Darwin was the other offensive star for the Twins with both a double and a triple hit to the opposite field.  Darwin had entered the game in a 1-for-15 slump after hitting 432/500/864 through the team's first twelve games.  Darwin told Sid Hartman, "In the past I've hit a lot of balls to right field but this spring I only hit one before tonight.  I came out early, took some extra batting practice, and I got myself straightened out."  It is unclear whether sixteen year-old Dick Bremer, sitting somewhere in Central Minnesota, took note of Darwin's approach and determined that it was the solution to every hitting slump a Twin would ever face.
Thurman Munson had a rough day for the Yankees.  In the second inning, he was picked off by Kaat while Felipe Alou was at bat.  After Munson's blunder, Alou homered.  The bottom of the seventh proved to be even more frustrating for the future Yankee captain.  With a runner on third, Munson was crossed-up on a pitch out as the Yankees thought Cesar ovar might be asked to squeeze.  Munson was able to block the pitch.  Tovar ultimately drew a walk.  On ball four, the pitch eluded Munson allowing Nettles to score and Tovar ran all the way to third base.  After the game, manager Ralph Houk attempted to cover for Munson by explaining that the catcher simply had lost track of the count and did not realize the pitch was ball four.
Veteran Yankee Horace Clarke provided a scouting report on Kaat: "His fastball velocity probably hasn't the velocity it had [in 1966], but he moves it so well that makes up for it."  Kaat, rather than crediting his fastball or screwball for the win, said, "My best pitch was the at-'em ball."  Kaat ended up pitching very effectively for the 1972 Twins with a 10-2 record and 2.06 ERA, but he broke his hand sliding into second base on July 2 and missed the remainder of the season.
On example of his at-'em ball working well occurred during the top of the eighth inning when Rusty Torres hit a ball sharply up the middle until it ricocheted off Kaat's leg to first baseman Rich Reese for the out.  The following inning, Kaat walked Munson with one out promptly manager Bill Rigney to call on Wayne Granger.  After the game, Houk was second-guessed for not pinch-hitting for Alou with Ron Blomberg, but he defended himself by explaining, "If I sent in Blomberg, Rigney would have brought in [left-handed reliever Dave] LaRoche."  Of course, Rigney could not have removed Granger until after he pitched to at least one batter, so Houk's explanation made no sense.  Granger ended up retiring both batters he faced for his fourth save (LaRoche already had five saves as Rigney mixed and matched the end of games).
Something I never knew: Granger got off to a ridiculously strong start that season.  Through June 25, Granger pitched 36.2 innings with a 0.49 ERA and a opposing slash line of 168/216/184.

Other Twins notes: Just 6,446 fans - the smallest ever to see the Yankees play in Minnesota - attended the game.  Bill Hengen of the Minneapolis Star lamented that there simply was no longer a thrill having the Yankees in town because the team was no longer "menacing or arrogant" like in the 1960s.

Kaat and Roof roomed together on the road (along with Bert Blyleven).  Kaat and Roof were such good bridge players that teammates Eric Soderholm and LaRoche never allowed the two to be partners.

Other history notes: Without venturing too much into the forbidden zone, the news on this day forty years ago was full of interesting stories for a history nerd.  For example, seventeen people were arrested during a protest in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood against both Vietnam and "urban renewal."  Also, the Duluth Board of Education announced it was dropping its plans to desegregate the school district that fall because of public pressure.  Five different schools in Duluth failed to comply with state guidelines for integration, and the abandoned plan would have required busing 900 more children than the status quo.  Sometimes it is hard to believe that school desegregation was an issue a) in Minnesota, and b) eighteen years after Brown v. Board of Education.

Along the same lines, reigning NFL MVP Alan Page was frustrated that he had not received a single endorsement offer during the offseason.  Quarterback Fran Tarkenton, on the other hand, received an offer "just seven minutes after the season" (whatever that means).  The Minneapolis Star worried that Page was being harmed because of his race.

2012 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 27: Minnesota 2, Seattle 5

5 Comments

Blackburn is 0-4.

Ryan Doumit hit 2 home runs. They accounted for the only 2 runs and, with his 4th inning single, he accounted for 60% of the Twins' hits in the game. EDIT - He also walked.

Mountie to the DL.

Dozier & Diamond up from Rochester tomorrow.

Butters on a major league club is beyond ssstupid.

That is all.

I lied, that is not all. I don't like having to work at watching baseball...but I'm almost there and we're only 27 games in.

Minnesota Twins

The Defense After A Month

12 Comments
Dude TZ DRS UZR
Mauer (C) -2 -1 N/A
Doumit (C) 1 -1 N/A
Parmelee (1B) 1 -1 0
Mauer (1B) -1 1 0
Morneau (1B) -1 0 -1
Casilla 1 6 3
Valencia 3 -2 0
Carroll -1 3 2
Willingham 2 -3 -5
Span 0 7 2
Plouffe -1 2 0
Doumit (RF) -2 -1 -1
Total 0 10 0

Overall, I would say most have been roughly average. Casilla, Carroll, and Span have all been good at their respective positions. Willingham has been not so good in left and Doumit questionable in right. This is all what we expected though.

Valencia I think needs more time before we determine if last year's -18/-13/-6 is his talent level or if it was an off year. All three liked him in 2010 (+3/+5/+6), so there's some hope there.

Mauer's numbers at catcher are almost entirely because of stolen bases. If one or two runners were instead thrown out, I think he would be rated as average.

Finally, I think it bears mentioning that all three divorce position from how good the player is at the position. Mostly, this is okay. However, it is an issue with B-R's 'dWAR' rating, which I do not like. It makes it easy to forget that a -10 shortstop (say, Plouffe) is equivalent to a +5 corner outfielder. Not exactly equal, but pretty close in fielding value.

2012 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 21: Kansas City 4, Minnesota 7

Finally, I get to write a recap about a TWINS WIN! Willingham was a homerun short of the cycle with 2 RBI and Danny V was 3 for 4 with a triple, 2 singles and 2 RBI. Doumit added 2 RBI of his own and the Twins had 5 extra base hits altogether. Jason Marquis had a "quality start" going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. Burton and Perkins each pitched a scoreless (though nail-biting) inning and Dicus gave up 1 run on 2 hits and a walk before securing the win.

Continue reading Game 21: Kansas City 4, Minnesota 7 →

2012 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 17 Recap: Boston Red Sox 6, Minnesota Twins 5

25 Comments

fangraphs (roller coaster of suck)
mlb recap

yet another game i was unable to watch or hear. this made me particularly upset as i've been able to hear about 2% of TK's broadcasts, and i already love them. i was able to "follow" along on gameday, and was able to "watch" in "real time" as capps does what he does. i'm not going to say it, so you guys can. also, while you're saying stuff, please think up some arguments for me to take to the boss on how getting mlb.tv is essential towards our quality of life.

i wanted to embed the JC/plouffe! play to give us some measure of happiness, but i came up short. sounds about right.

2012 Twins Game Recaps, Minnesota Twins, MLB

Game 16 Recap: Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 6

19 Comments

I had a full day planned so I recorded todays tilt on the old DVR. Maybe my technology has a heart because when I went to review the game this evening, it hadn’t been recorded after all. At first I was annoyed, but then I checked out the box score… yuck. After committing 3 errors in last night’s ballgame, the Twins cleaned it up today and didn’t commit a single one. That’s about the only positive thing I saw. Continue reading Game 16 Recap: Minnesota 2, Tampa Bay 6 →