Twins 2012 season

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 10:57 pm

Tee09 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

Jesus. His middle initial is usually given as H, not F.

This is the Mexican Hey-soos. Jesus Fernandez Christ. Cousin of Jesus H. Christ.

by **rowshkex** » Tue 5/29/12 10:59 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:
Tee09 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

Jesus. His middle initial is usually given as H, not F.

This is the Mexican Hey-soos. Jesus Fernandez Christ. Cousin of Jesus H. Christ.

...Can he pitch?

by **gopherguy13** » Tue 5/29/12 11:01 pm

I just don't want to be the worst team in baseball. Keep the pace up to stay ahead of San Diego or Chicago! :wink:

by **dryfly** » Tue 5/29/12 11:03 pm

gopherguy13 wrote:I just don't want to be the worst team in baseball. Keep the pace up to stay ahead of San Diego or Chicago!

Either that or make it a truly epic fail - one that erases the 1962 Mets from the pages of history. Entertain us.

by **gopherguy13** » Tue 5/29/12 11:04 pm

dryfly wrote:
gopherguy13 wrote:I just don't want to be the worst team in baseball. Keep the pace up to stay ahead of San Diego or Chicago!

Either that or make it a truly epic fail - one that erases the 1962 Mets from the pages of history. Entertain us.

Like the Washington Generals of baseball? :lol:

(That's the name of team the plays the Globetrotters, right?)

by **Tee09** » Tue 5/29/12 11:05 pm

rowshkex wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Tee09 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

Jesus. His middle initial is usually given as H, not F.

This is the Mexican Hey-soos. Jesus Fernandez Christ. Cousin of Jesus H. Christ.

...Can he pitch?

No, but I hear he can tap dance.

by **Armadillo** » Tue 5/29/12 11:08 pm

Tee09 wrote:
rowshkex wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Tee09 wrote:Jesus. His middle initial is usually given as H, not F.

This is the Mexican Hey-soos. Jesus Fernandez Christ. Cousin of Jesus H. Christ.

...Can he pitch?

No, but I hear he can tap dance.

Has an affinity for birch-bark canoes, also.

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:09 pm

Tee09 wrote:
rowshkex wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Tee09 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:Who isn't happy?

Jesus. His middle initial is usually given as H, not F.

This is the Mexican Hey-soos. Jesus Fernandez Christ. Cousin of Jesus H. Christ.

...Can he pitch?

No, but I hear he can tap dance.

No no. Jesus TD Christ is JFC's and JHC's uncle.

by **Armadillo** » Tue 5/29/12 11:10 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:No no. Jesus TD Christ is JFC's and JHC's uncle.

That's a heapin' helpin' of Messiah right there.

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:12 pm

Armadillo wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:No no. Jesus TD Christ is JFC's and JHC's uncle.

That's a heapin' helpin' of Messiah right there.

Of course, their Grandfather is the proprietor of a birchbark canoe company. As such, he passed on his first canoe to his son which is where you get the old saying from.

by **Tee09** » Tue 5/29/12 11:12 pm

Armadillo wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:No no. Jesus TD Christ is JFC's and JHC's uncle.

That's a heapin' helpin' of Messiah right there.

You mean "a mess o' Messiah".

Edit: I'm eagerly awaiting all the Jesus talk to make it's way back to how Baby Jesus with sideburns refuses to hit for power.

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Tue 5/29/12 11:15 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

Can you teach me some cheers superfan?

I was agreeing with GE's post. My guess is nearly everybody watching the game was praying Joe didn't hit a ground ball. We're all terrible fans.

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:15 pm

A bevy of belief. A cadre of Christ. A drove of divinity. A gaggle of godliness. A herd of hallelujah. A plethora of piety.

by **Armadillo** » Tue 5/29/12 11:15 pm

Tee09 wrote:
Armadillo wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:No no. Jesus TD Christ is JFC's and JHC's uncle.

That's a heapin' helpin' of Messiah right there.

You mean "a mess o' Messiah".

Edit: I'm eagerly awaiting all the Jesus talk to make it's way back to how Baby Jesus with sideburns refuses to hit for power.

Legit LOL on that one, Tee. Well played.

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:16 pm

Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

Can you teach me some cheers superfan?

I was agreeing with GE's post. My guess is nearly everybody watching the game was praying Joe didn't hit a ground ball. We're all terrible fans.

You again?

by **Armadillo** » Tue 5/29/12 11:18 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

Can you teach me some cheers superfan?

I was agreeing with GE's post. My guess is nearly everybody watching the game was praying Joe didn't hit a ground ball. We're all terrible fans.

You again?

Here's dx moments after that post:

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:23 pm

Lyrics are NSFW

by **Beauner** » Tue 5/29/12 11:26 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

"Basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer" by saying "I was hoping Mauer wouldn't hit into a double play" (he is currently leading the big leagues in GIDP IIRC) and "Bremer might need 2 weeks off after calling a walkoff HR that he's been fantasizing about since the stadium bill passed"?
Any Twins fan not saying "Please don't hit a ground ball" during the Mauer at-bat is delusional. You have a good hitter behind Mauer, a left handed pitcher that Willingham played with last year, and first and 2nd with 1 out against a sinkerball pitcher and a guy prone to GIDPs. My first thought was "Please hit the ball in the air." Hell, even Gladden said something along the lines of "Mauer needs to get this ball in the air."

The Bremer comment was more of a joke than a bitch, but obviously Bushwood and I can't say anything positive about the Twins so everything we say is completely negative and bitching.

DeVries had a pretty solid outing today from what I heard. They were interviewing Perkins between innings on the radio and he said he's happy to see another Gopher in the majors (3 currently playing). I'd like to see him stick with the club. He seems to have decent stuff and battles well.

Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

by **Armadillo** » Tue 5/29/12 11:29 pm

Beauner wrote:Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

Worse. It was baaaaaaad.

by **Alby22** » Tue 5/29/12 11:30 pm

Beauner wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

"Basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer" by saying "I was hoping Mauer wouldn't hit into a double play" (he is currently leading the big leagues in GIDP IIRC) and "Bremer might need 2 weeks off after calling a walkoff HR that he's been fantasizing about since the stadium bill passed"?
Any Twins fan not saying "Please don't hit a ground ball" during the Mauer at-bat is delusional. You have a good hitter behind Mauer, a left handed pitcher that Willingham played with last year, and first and 2nd with 1 out against a sinkerball pitcher and a guy prone to GIDPs. My first thought was "Please hit the ball in the air." Hell, even Gladden said something along the lines of "Mauer needs to get this ball in the air."

The Bremer comment was more of a joke than a bitch, but obviously Bushwood and I can't say anything positive about the Twins so everything we say is completely negative and bitching.

DeVries had a pretty solid outing today from what I heard. They were interviewing Perkins between innings on the radio and he said he's happy to see another Gopher in the majors (3 currently playing). I'd like to see him stick with the club. He seems to have decent stuff and battles well.

Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

You cant be a true fan unless you back up your opinion with a graph

by **The Rube** » Tue 5/29/12 11:33 pm

MN Sports Lesson:

Baby Jesus: Joe Mauer
Purple Jesus: Adrian Peterson
Bebe Jesus: Ricky Rubio

by **Beauner** » Tue 5/29/12 11:34 pm

Armadillo wrote:
Beauner wrote:Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

Worse. It was baaaaaaad.

That's the second time he's popped up a sac bunt in the last couple days. You'd think for a guy with his elite speed he'd be pretty comfortable getting the bunt down, whether for a sac or for a hit. If the ball is above the letters, let the damn thing go. Put the bat at the top of the zone and don't go higher. It's pretty basic baseball.

Either way, a sac bunt there means they would IBB Mauer 95% of the time to set up the force out, but still man. Can't pop bunts up in that situation (and this is coming from a guy who doesn't like sac bunts!)

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Tue 5/29/12 11:40 pm

Beauner wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:
Bushwood Gopher wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:JFC. We won. Be happy.

Who isn't happy?

You. We win and the first two things you post are basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer.

"Basically bitching about Bremer and Mauer" by saying "I was hoping Mauer wouldn't hit into a double play" (he is currently leading the big leagues in GIDP IIRC) and "Bremer might need 2 weeks off after calling a walkoff HR that he's been fantasizing about since the stadium bill passed"?
Any Twins fan not saying "Please don't hit a ground ball" during the Mauer at-bat is delusional. You have a good hitter behind Mauer, a left handed pitcher that Willingham played with last year, and first and 2nd with 1 out against a sinkerball pitcher and a guy prone to GIDPs. My first thought was "Please hit the ball in the air." Hell, even Gladden said something along the lines of "Mauer needs to get this ball in the air."

The Bremer comment was more of a joke than a bitch, but obviously Bushwood and I can't say anything positive about the Twins so everything we say is completely negative and bitching.

DeVries had a pretty solid outing today from what I heard. They were interviewing Perkins between innings on the radio and he said he's happy to see another Gopher in the majors (3 currently playing). I'd like to see him stick with the club. He seems to have decent stuff and battles well.

Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

I didn't really understand his at bat. He took a cookie down the middle of the plate for strike 1 and then didn't pull the bat back on the 2nd pitch, a high inside one that almost hit him. It was crazy he could even make contact like he did--hit a pop up right to the pitcher.

DeVries walked a lot of guys (5 I think without looking?) but got a couple key GIDP. He definitely hung in there and made the most of his outing. Was really happy to see him do well.

At least Gladden made his comments on the radio and not in this thread. Lest the gritty gamer himself be considered an anti-Twins fan. :wink:

by **gopherguy13** » Tue 5/29/12 11:52 pm

The Rube wrote:MN Sports Lesson:

Baby Jesus: Joe Mauer
Purple Jesus: Adrian Peterson
Bebe Jesus: Ricky Rubio

Shouldn't it be "Bebé Jesús"?

by **dxmnkd316** » Tue 5/29/12 11:53 pm

Never said you guys weren't fans. I just said you guys bitch about everything.

by **The Rube** » Wed 5/30/12 12:11 am

gopherguy13 wrote:
The Rube wrote:MN Sports Lesson:

Baby Jesus: Joe Mauer
Purple Jesus: Adrian Peterson
Bebe Jesus: Ricky Rubio

Shouldn't it be "Bebé Jesús"?

Yes, but I'm too lazy and non-nerdish (relatively) to have language packs. :oops:

by **monty** » Wed 5/30/12 8:27 am

I watched most of the game last night and anyone who did that thinks Devries is doing okay is lying to themselves. He walked 5 in 5 innings of work, was aided by double plays and a poor hitting team. His 5th inning when he got the A's in order the first 2 outs were atom balls hit at Span. Blackburn will make his next rehab start and if he is okay will probably replace Devries in the rotation.

How the Twins think Revere is everyday starter is beyond me. Not only has he popped up 2 bunt attempts recently, but last night he attempted to bunt for a hit and popped it over the pitchers head where it landed for a infield base hit.

by **sunbone** » Wed 5/30/12 9:39 am

Beauner wrote:
Armadillo wrote:
Beauner wrote:Was Revere's bunt attempt as brutal as Gladden made it sound? He just ripped him to shreds.

Worse. It was baaaaaaad.

That's the second time he's popped up a sac bunt in the last couple days. You'd think for a guy with his elite speed he'd be pretty comfortable getting the bunt down, whether for a sac or for a hit. If the ball is above the letters, let the damn thing go. Put the bat at the top of the zone and don't go higher. It's pretty basic baseball.
Either way, a sac bunt there means they would IBB Mauer 95% of the time to set up the force out, but still man. Can't pop bunts up in that situation (and this is coming from a guy who doesn't like sac bunts!)

I'm still amazed at the number of guys who get to the bigs and can not lay down a bunt. Makes you wonder that they are doing in the minors sometimes. About 90% of being a good bunter is just a matter of working at it. And it really bugs me when I guy like Revere can't do it since it could be a nice weapon for him. But he can't even square up and sacrifice bunt let alone drop one down for a hit.

by **Superstar** » Wed 5/30/12 2:33 pm

Twins just completed their 1st home series sweep since June of last year.

by **monty** » Wed 5/30/12 3:08 pm

Superstar wrote:Twins just completed their 1st home series sweep since June of last year.

I wonder what the parade route will be, I want to get a good seat. :biggrin2:

by **gopherguy06** » Wed 5/30/12 4:14 pm

Man today's game was a quick one!

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Wed 5/30/12 6:22 pm

Josh Willingham had 7 RBI this series, 5 of them with 2 outs. He now has 35 for the season which is good for 5th overall in the AL.

by **rowshkex** » Wed 5/30/12 6:24 pm

Bushwood Gopher wrote:Josh Willingham had 7 RBI this series, 5 of them with 2 outs. He now has 35 for the season which is good for 5th overall in the AL.

Excellent trade bait.

by **dxmnkd316** » Wed 5/30/12 7:32 pm

The only way the Twins don't trade him is if they think they can turn this team around in two years. Which isn't as impossible as it sounds. It would be impossible without a significant amount of free agent pitchers being picked up.

Players w/ Contracts Expiring Between Now and 2014:
Pavano.....2012.....$8.5m
Baker.....2012.....$6.5m ($9.25m 2013 option)
Liriano.....2012.....$5.5m
Capps.....2012-----$4.5m ($6m 2013 option)
Doumit.....2012.....$3m
Marquis.....2012.....$3m
Zumaya.....2012.....$875k
Total: Almost $32 million in FA.

Morneau....2013.....$14m
Blackburn.....2013.....$5.5m ($8m 2014 option)
Carroll.....2013.....$3.75m ($2m 2014 option)
Nishioka.....2013.....$3m
Total: $26.25 million.

See the table below for the original data from BBR. There is a lot of cash being freed up in the next two years. Almost half the payroll.

Code: Select all: 2012 2013 2014 2015 Joe Mauer 23M 23M 23M 23M Justin Morneau 14M 14M FA Josh Willingham 7M 7M 7M FA Carl Pavano 8.5M FA Denard Span 3M 4.75M 6.5M 500k [FA-*] Scott Baker 6.5M 0 [FA-*] Nick Blackburn 4.75M 5.5M 0 [FA-*] Glen Perkins 1.55M 2.5M 3.75M 3.75M Tsuyoshi Nishioka 3M 3M 250k [Arb-*] Arb Jamey Carroll 2.75M 3.75M 250k [FA-*] Francisco Liriano 5.5M FA Matt Capps 4.5M 250k [FA-*] Ryan Doumit 3M FA Jason Marquis 3M FA Alexi Casilla 1.38M Arb-3 FA Jared Burton 750k Arb-4 FA Sean Burroughs 525k Arb-3 FA Brian Duensing 515k Arb-1 Arb-2 Arb-3 Danny Valencia 515k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Ben Revere 492.5k Pre-Arb-2 Arb-1 Arb-2 Alex Burnett 490k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Anthony Swarzak 487.5k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Jeff Gray 485k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Luke Hughes 485k Pre-Arb-2 Arb-1 Arb-2 Trevor Plouffe 485k Pre-Arb-2 Arb-1 Arb-2 Matt Maloney 482.5k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Clete Thomas 481k Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Arb-2 Liam Hendriks 480k Pre-Arb-2 Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Chris Parmelee 480k Pre-Arb-2 Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Kyle Waldrop 480k Pre-Arb-2 Pre-Arb-3 Arb-1 Joel Zumaya 850k 2012 2013 2014 2015 Signed *30 8 4 2 Dollars Committed *99.9M 63.8M 40.8M 27.25M Contract Options 2 3 1 Option Values 15.25M 14M 9M Arb Eligible 1-0-2-1 9-1-0-0 3-9-2-0 Arb Costs 20M 26.25M 51.8M Other Players 13 11 9 Other Costs 9.43M 7.97M 6.53M Payroll (no options) 93.2M 75M 85.5M Payroll (options) 107M 86.8M 93.8M

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/30/2012.

by **rowshkex** » Wed 5/30/12 7:54 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:The only way the Twins don't trade him is if they think they can turn this team around in two years. Which isn't as impossible as it sounds. It would be impossible without a significant amount of free agent pitchers being picked up...

I think I'd rather see them restock, to be honest. We'd need at least three solid starting pitchers to really content for much, assuming our injured prospects end up being duds, and unless people like Sano, Dozier, Rosario, etc. can develop rapidly, I don't see us doing much...

by **dxmnkd316** » Wed 5/30/12 8:06 pm

rowshkex wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:The only way the Twins don't trade him is if they think they can turn this team around in two years. Which isn't as impossible as it sounds. It would be impossible without a significant amount of free agent pitchers being picked up...

I think I'd rather see them restock, to be honest. We'd need at least three solid starting pitchers to really content for much, assuming our injured prospects end up being duds, and unless people like Sano, Dozier, Rosario, etc. can develop rapidly, I don't see us doing much...

Agreed. Unless the Pohlads up the payroll.

Which leads me into my next point. I was listening to 1500 on the way home tonight and Souhan was in for Pellisero. He was plugging his Strib article while discussing Mauer being booed last night. Everyone on here knows how much I despise Souhan. But I think the blind squirrel has something here.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/155550255.html

I think he's on to something here when he says the Pohlads need to take a new approach to the Mauer contract. Think of the $10m as a fee to prevent a catastrophe that could have happened if they hadn't resigned him and the support for season tickets dropped out. (And don't bring up the losing seasons does the same thing - I agree but losing support "now" is always worse than potentially losing support "later".) If they view that $10m as marketing, they should consider upping the payroll by that amount to offset it.

The Mauer contract is definitely hurting the team, but you can't use that as an excuse now. The deal is done and there's nothing we can do about it. Time to adjust instead of crying into our hands.

by **rowshkex** » Wed 5/30/12 8:11 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:
rowshkex wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:The only way the Twins don't trade him is if they think they can turn this team around in two years. Which isn't as impossible as it sounds. It would be impossible without a significant amount of free agent pitchers being picked up...

I think I'd rather see them restock, to be honest. We'd need at least three solid starting pitchers to really content for much, assuming our injured prospects end up being duds, and unless people like Sano, Dozier, Rosario, etc. can develop rapidly, I don't see us doing much...

Agreed. Unless the Pohlads up the payroll.

Which leads me into my next point. I was listening to 1500 on the way home tonight and Souhan was in for Pellisero. He was plugging his Strib article while discussing Mauer being booed last night. Everyone on here knows how much I despise Souhan. But I think the blind squirrel has something here.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/155550255.html

I think he's on to something here when he says the Pohlads need to take a new approach to the Mauer contract. Think of the $10m as a fee to prevent a catastrophe that could have happened if they hadn't resigned him and the support for season tickets dropped out. (And don't bring up the losing seasons does the same thing - I agree but losing support "now" is always worse than potentially losing support "later".) If they view that $10m as marketing, they should consider upping the payroll by that amount to offset it.

The Mauer contract is definitely hurting the team, but you can't use that as an excuse now. The deal is done and there's nothing we can do about it. Time to adjust instead of crying into our hands.

Agree completely. It doesn't matter how people feel about Mauer or his contract--the Twins really had no choice if they wanted to keep a strong fan base.

by **trixR4kids** » Wed 5/30/12 8:12 pm

Will be interesting to see how the Twins spend that to say the least. I really hope for the Twins sake that they get a new GM because I'm not sure I trust Terry Ryan. I know he's there on an interim basis but who knows what that means at the Twins country club.

I still think the Twins need to develop a better farm system to have any shot though because free agency prices seem to have shown signs inflation over the years. 26.5 million just won't get you very far if you sign an ace at 15 million a year (see CJ Wilson). Obviously there are other ways to spend that money, but pitching is very expensive.

by **dxmnkd316** » Wed 5/30/12 8:31 pm

Agreed. FA pitching contracts are some of the priciest out there. I'd rather they rebuild from the ground up. But when the cupboard is as bare as it is, that could take the better part of a decade.

Unlike last year where Pavano was the second best FA pitcher, this year is rife with pitching talent. I read through the Bleacher Report's most recent 2013 FA pitching list and there are quite a few out there and that could drive down prices.

Zack Grienke
James Shields
Anibal Sanchez
Dan Haren
Cole Hamels
Shawn Marcum
Brandon McCarthy
Gavin Floyd
Kyle Lohse
Jeremy Guthrie
Joe Saunders

(I wouldn't be shocked if at least one of these guys have signed, but I thought I would throw out some names they had on their list.)

I know there are also a few names on there that will make some people cringe. But I still decided to list them because they have produced this year or could produce in a park like Target Field.

by **Handyman** » Thu 5/31/12 12:22 am

Why would people cringe...I would take almost everyone on that list over the list of shrubs we put out there nightly.

And you are right about how the Pohlads should view Mauer's contract...problem is we know they wont do that.

by **dxmnkd316** » Thu 5/31/12 8:13 am

I figured Lohse would make people cringe for sure. Plus, as Bleacher Report said, Jeremy Guthrie hasn't exactly been an ace by most standards. However, for five years he was with the Orioles (who have to face the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees) and now he's with the Rockies with the least pitcher-friendly park on earth (short of putting one in the Himalayas).

by **monty** » Thu 5/31/12 8:35 am

The Twins could rebuild their rotation quickly. They have Blackburn and Gibson all ready. Sign a FA starter that is a 1 or 2 in the rotation. LIriano could be in the mix next year if he pitches the rest of the season like yesterday. One of the beat writers also said that you can't count out Baker for the Twins. I would suspect that either Liriano or Baker are in the rotation next year. Then the last starter will come from the group of Hendricks, Diamond, or Walters. There also is an outside chance that Wimmers or another minor league pitcher could make the rotation.

by **Handyman** » Thu 5/31/12 10:20 am

If they have Blackburn, Liriano and Baker in next years rotation not only is that not a rebuilt rotation but the team will continue to go nowhere. If Liriana does well for a bit trade him to anyone who will take him they need to be rid of him. Keep Blackburn only because Baker is coming off surgery (then get rid of him) and go young. Sign a couple guys and go from there. Everyone in this rotation is expendable.

by **Beauner** » Thu 5/31/12 2:56 pm

Handyman wrote:If they have Blackburn, Liriano and Baker in next years rotation not only is that not a rebuilt rotation but the team will continue to go nowhere. If Liriana does well for a bit trade him to anyone who will take him they need to be rid of him. Keep Blackburn only because Baker is coming off surgery (then get rid of him) and go young. Sign a couple guys and go from there. Everyone in this rotation is expendable.

Liriano is done in a Twins uniform after this season. He's just not getting it done and the Twins don't seem generally thrilled with his offseason workouts throughout his career.
Baker will probably be in the rotation next year because his contract is up and he'll be able to be re-signed on the cheap. Blackburn, who knows. He will probably start with the Twins just because if he didn't we'd be replacing 3 starters with Pavano and Liriano going elsewhere.
I wouldn't be surprised next year with a rotation of Gibson, Diamond, Walters, Blackburn, Baker.

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Thu 5/31/12 3:07 pm

Beauner wrote:
Handyman wrote:If they have Blackburn, Liriano and Baker in next years rotation not only is that not a rebuilt rotation but the team will continue to go nowhere. If Liriana does well for a bit trade him to anyone who will take him they need to be rid of him. Keep Blackburn only because Baker is coming off surgery (then get rid of him) and go young. Sign a couple guys and go from there. Everyone in this rotation is expendable.

Liriano is done in a Twins uniform after this season. He's just not getting it done and the Twins don't seem generally thrilled with his offseason workouts throughout his career.
Baker will probably be in the rotation next year because his contract is up and he'll be able to be re-signed on the cheap. Blackburn, who knows. He will probably start with the Twins just because if he didn't we'd be replacing 3 starters with Pavano and Liriano going elsewhere.
I wouldn't be surprised next year with a rotation of Gibson, Diamond, Walters, Blackburn, Baker.

I expect Liriano to be traded before the deadline and would be very surprised if Baker comes back. I believe there's enough animosity on his end at the way the organization handled his injury/rehab that he would be in a Twins uniform again only if it was his last option to remain in baseball.

Of course, in the end money talks. Glen Perkins field a grievance against the Twins and both sides managed to get past that and ultimately he was rewarded with a good contract.

by **Snowcool08** » Fri 6/01/12 2:30 pm

Surprised no one posted this yet, but Jonah Keri on Grantland wrote an article about what's wrong with the Twins. It's nothing that Twin's fans don't already know, but it's interesting to hear an outsider's prospective. The article title suggests there are going to be solutions on what the Twins should do, but there's very little of that and more analysis on what went wrong.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... -the-twins

by **dxmnkd316** » Fri 6/01/12 5:46 pm

Snowcool08 wrote:Surprised no one posted this yet, but Jonah Keri on Grantland wrote an article about what's wrong with the Twins. It's nothing that Twin's fans don't already know, but it's interesting to hear an outsider's prospective. The article title suggests there are going to be solutions on what the Twins should do, but there's very little of that and more analysis on what went wrong.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... -the-twins

I've got to say I completely agree with you this article comes from an outsider who hasn't paid much attention to the organization. The more I read, the more obvious it became.

Specifically the piece about Santana. Sure, the Rangers got a hell of a lot for Texiera. The problem was, Johan made it absolutely clear he wasn't going to sign here and the Twins had to trade him for what they could get. The real problem wasn't getting a pile of crap for him. It was that they didn't (and perhaps couldn't) trade him earlier. Obviously this was in the heart of their decade of dominance in the AL Central and trading away an ace like that isn't ideal until all other options are exhausted. So I could see arguments on both sides of the argument on whether the Twins completely blew it on that trade.

Dumping JJ Hardy was also a situation that wasn't necessarily a terrible idea at the time. The guy played 60% of the time and was continuing his three-year HR slide from his peak in 2007. His OPS was below his career average and the Twins thought they were getting a better, and younger, SS in Nishioka. The problem wasn't dumping JJ Hardy. It was their scouts blowing their analysis of Nishioka so badly that it bordered on criminal. I'm still dumbfounded on how badly they screwed up on scouting this dreck of a player.

They do have a point on the Wilson Ramos trade. I wasn't terribly happy with that trade when it happened. I thought it was a bit myopic and they overvalued Capps. They had the right idea in trading to get a younger reliever to replace Nathan, but they flubbed it. Capps had a career SV% in the mid-80s (although I will grant that this was with the Pirates), a career WHIP well over 1.0, and a BAA of .260 (!!).

All in all, the article did a great job at pointing out the Twins, in the near term, are boned.

by **trixR4kids** » Fri 6/01/12 6:03 pm

Pretty obvious that a position player will yield more than someone who makes an appearance 1 out of every 5 games.

by **The Rube** » Sun 6/03/12 2:12 am

dxmnkd316 wrote:
Snowcool08 wrote:Surprised no one posted this yet, but Jonah Keri on Grantland wrote an article about what's wrong with the Twins. It's nothing that Twin's fans don't already know, but it's interesting to hear an outsider's prospective. The article title suggests there are going to be solutions on what the Twins should do, but there's very little of that and more analysis on what went wrong.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... -the-twins

I've got to say I completely agree with you this article comes from an outsider who hasn't paid much attention to the organization. The more I read, the more obvious it became.

Specifically the piece about Santana. Sure, the Rangers got a hell of a lot for Texiera. The problem was, Johan made it absolutely clear he wasn't going to sign here and the Twins had to trade him for what they could get. The real problem wasn't getting a pile of crap for him. It was that they didn't (and perhaps couldn't) trade him earlier. Obviously this was in the heart of their decade of dominance in the AL Central and trading away an ace like that isn't ideal until all other options are exhausted. So I could see arguments on both sides of the argument on whether the Twins completely blew it on that trade.

Dumping JJ Hardy was also a situation that wasn't necessarily a terrible idea at the time. The guy played 60% of the time and was continuing his three-year HR slide from his peak in 2007. His OPS was below his career average and the Twins thought they were getting a better, and younger, SS in Nishioka. The problem wasn't dumping JJ Hardy. It was their scouts blowing their analysis of Nishioka so badly that it bordered on criminal. I'm still dumbfounded on how badly they screwed up on scouting this dreck of a player.

They do have a point on the Wilson Ramos trade. I wasn't terribly happy with that trade when it happened. I thought it was a bit myopic and they overvalued Capps. They had the right idea in trading to get a younger reliever to replace Nathan, but they flubbed it. Capps had a career SV% in the mid-80s (although I will grant that this was with the Pirates), a career WHIP well over 1.0, and a BAA of .260 (!!).

All in all, the article did a great job at pointing out the Twins, in the near term, are boned.

For closers, I can't dismiss a dismal SV%. I can dismiss claims of low saves totals (due to lack of opportunity). But just like goalies in hockey, SV% is a key stat: meaning that if a goalie has a 4.00 GAA, that's ugly, until you see that he has a .930 SV%. That latter stat changes everything.

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Sun 6/03/12 8:18 pm

Will be interesting to see who the Twins draft tomorrow. I'll go out on a limb and say Kevin Gausman RHP - LSU.

by **dxmnkd316** » Sun 6/03/12 8:27 pm

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1203 ... und/page/2

by **Chris83** » Sun 6/03/12 9:16 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1203704-2012-mlb-mock-draft-updating-every-projected-pick-of-the-sandwich-round/page/2

Most sites I have seen have them taking Mark Appel, Byron Buxton or Kevin Gausman. I didn't see any other site beside Bleacher Report where Mitch Brown was taken earlier than the second round. But then, who knows with the entry draft? :?:

by **dxmnkd316** » Sun 6/03/12 9:49 pm

I believe BR is starting in the second round...? #32 pick overall is where they have him.

But then again, that could be because baseball has the goofiest of all the drafts.

by **Beauner** » Sun 6/03/12 10:30 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:I believe BR is starting in the second round...? #32 pick overall is where they have him.

But then again, that could be because baseball has the goofiest of all the drafts.

Yeah that one was starting at the Supplemental round, which IIRC, are the picks we got for Cuddyer and Kubel signing elsewhere.
I'd guess the Twins will take Appel if he's available, otherwise we'll go Buxton. I believe Houston will take Appel, but you never know.
Buxton projects to be a high-end talent. Some scouts have reported him as a combination of the Upton brothers (BJ's legs, Justin's upper body).

by **Chris83** » Sun 6/03/12 11:17 pm

dxmnkd316 wrote:I believe BR is starting in the second round...? #32 pick overall is where they have him.

But then again, that could be because baseball has the goofiest of all the drafts.

My apologies on this; misread the "#32".

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Sun 6/03/12 11:37 pm

Beauner wrote:
dxmnkd316 wrote:I believe BR is starting in the second round...? #32 pick overall is where they have him.

But then again, that could be because baseball has the goofiest of all the drafts.

Yeah that one was starting at the Supplemental round, which IIRC, are the picks we got for Cuddyer and Kubel signing elsewhere.
I'd guess the Twins will take Appel if he's available, otherwise we'll go Buxton. I believe Houston will take Appel, but you never know.
Buxton projects to be a high-end talent. Some scouts have reported him as a combination of the Upton brothers (BJ's legs, Justin's upper body).

I should have prefaced my earlier prediction with my assumption that the Astros will take Appel #1. Notwithstanding many mocks have him in the Top 2, I'd be surprised if the Twins took Byron Buxton. The guy is 3 - 5 years away and I don't think they can afford to be that patient with this pick.

by **rowshkex** » Mon 6/04/12 7:17 pm

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/157067805.html

Editing at its best:

Twins catcher Joe Mauer was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft.

In any case, I'm not surprised they took Buxton... They have to look 3-5 years out if they are to be realistic about anything... They need MULTIPLE players filled from the bottom up (read: farm system), and picks in the later rounds will take that long anyway--that, and if they plan for 3-5 years, there will be at least a few years or dismal play where they can continue to feed their farm system.

by **Iceburg** » Mon 6/04/12 9:35 pm

Pick 32
Jose Berrios (Papa Juan XXIII HS) RHP

MLB.com wrote:6'00" 190lbs DOB: 05/27/94
As the spring progressed, few high school arms had more helium than this right-hander from Puerto Rico. A strong "undersized right-hander," Berrios has a compact and sound delivery that produces two potentially plus pitches. He can throw his fastball now in the 93-96 mph range, perhaps even touching a 97 mph at times. He can elevate the fastball when he needs to and can work down in the zone as well, showing good life to the heater when he does. He backs that up with a power breaking ball, around 80 mph, that's an absolute hammer. His changeup is behind the other two, common for pitchers at this level, but he's shown a feel for it, and it has the chance to be a usable third pitch. He's aggressive and throws strikes, for the most part. While he's young, he's mature, both physically and in terms of his mound presence. There isn't much projection -- he's not the type of prep arm who projects to be much more than he is -- but he has more than enough now stuff to draw a lot of attention in the early stages of the Draft

by **Iceburg** » Mon 6/04/12 9:54 pm

Pick 42
Luke Bard (Georgia Tech) RHP

MLB.com wrote:6'03" 195lbs DOB: 11/13/90
The younger brother of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard, Luke may not throw quite as hard as big bro, but he has enough fastball, touching the mid-90s at times. He combines that with a good power slider, and that was enough to have some success when he was given a chance to start for Georgia Tech this year. A torn lat muscle ended his season early, somewhat ending his climb. Most see his future in the bullpen, where the his combination of fastball and power breaking ball would play up.

by **HockeyBum** » Mon 6/04/12 10:13 pm

As if I needed another reminder of how old I'm getting, some of the players drafted tonight weren't even born when I graduated from HS ('93).

I'm not sure what to think about the Buxton pick. The Star Tribune didn't do him any favors in their article tonight where they compared him to Aaron Hicks.

by **Bigbeer** » Tue 6/05/12 12:03 am

Brandon Inge has 5 4 RBI games since being released by DET and going to Oakland. It's not like we have a need or he's a Twins type of hard working player...

This team has the worst judgement on when to take a chance on a player.

by **Bushwood Gopher** » Tue 6/05/12 2:01 am

Bigbeer wrote:Brandon Inge has 5 4 RBI games since being released by DET and going to Oakland. It's not like we have a need or he's a Twins type of hard working player...

This team has the worst judgement on when to take a chance on a player.

The guy has a line of .171/.242/.390 and gets paid $5.5M. They were right to pass.

by **monty** » Tue 6/05/12 8:15 am

It is good thing Mauer was not playing last night. He would have grounded into a double in the 1st and "The Hammer" would have never hit that 2 run homer. :lol:

The Twins might have even lost.

by **Norm** » Tue 6/05/12 8:47 am

Any chance MLB contracts the entire Central Division? These teams are horrible.

by **h8red** » Tue 6/05/12 1:10 pm

Buxton is supposed to be the next Bo Jackson. Time to trade Span! I can't wait!

by **JWG** » Tue 6/05/12 10:48 pm

Liriano strikes out 4 in the 4th, gives up 1 run - still gets the L...

by **dryfly** » Wed 6/06/12 11:09 pm

You all realize we are no longer on track to lose 100 games?

by **GopherFan85** » Thu 6/07/12 8:19 am

dryfly wrote:You all realize we are no longer on track to lose 100 games?

Maybe the Hunt for Hundred is actually 100 wins? Maybe in a few years.

by **h8red** » Thu 6/07/12 1:08 pm

dryfly wrote:You all realize we are no longer on track to lose 100 games?

Oh don't worry...we're playing the soft part of the schedule now. They will run off a few losing streaks of 8+or more.

I'm wondering if the Cubs series will end up in a tie: 0-0 or 23-23 each game

by **dryfly** » Fri 6/08/12 10:53 pm

h8red wrote:
dryfly wrote:You all realize we are no longer on track to lose 100 games?

Oh don't worry...we're playing the soft part of the schedule now. They will run off a few losing streaks of 8+or more.

I'm wondering if the Cubs series will end up in a tie: 0-0 or 23-23 each game

Tied for awhile... we should play the Cubs more often.

by **Kelor** » Fri 6/08/12 11:35 pm

That was the most entertaining 3+ hour game I have been to in a long long time.

by **dryfly** » Sat 6/09/12 7:10 pm

Like I said - we have to play those Cubs a LOT more often.

by **Tee09** » Sat 6/09/12 10:14 pm

dryfly wrote:Like I said - we have to play those Cubs a LOT more often.

and quit bitching so much, because things could always be a lot worse. Your 2012 Chicago Cubs... we help other fan bases count their blessings.

by **dryfly** » Sat 6/09/12 11:42 pm

Tee09 wrote:
dryfly wrote:Like I said - we have to play those Cubs a LOT more often.

and quit bitching so much, because things could always be a lot worse. Your 2012 Chicago Cubs... we help other fan bases count their blessings.

Tomorrow should be good ... schedule says Dempster [1-3 - had a string of 18 winless starts until that was broken against Brewers] vs Liriano [1-6 ... ya].

Bombs away!

by **Tee09** » Sun 6/10/12 10:41 am

Actually, Dempster has been pretty good. I haven't been paying attention recently, but in his first 8 starts, he was something like 0-3 with an ERA of about 2. He's gotten no run support whatsoever.

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