2013 MN Twins

[jrs21]

I agree with you, Arcia should be playing more.
I like the T. Laroussa train of thought, in that you don't put your weakest hitter 9th, bat him 8th (as I see that you did in your line-up). Let your 9 hitter be a table setter for the top of the line-up.
My thought process: as you said keep a line-up pretty much the same with this exception; with Willinghams mega slump I would move him down to 5th or 6th until he snaps out of it. The problem that arises then, is who bats 3rd? With this weak ass lineup, there's not really an option. The best option would be Arcia? He's not ready to be a 3 hitter. Last year I would have said give Plouffe a shot at it short term until Willy's slump is over.
Honestly, I am glad I don't have to fill out the lineup card right now!
Baseball is so streaky that I will go with a hot bat, Doumit was hitting good for a little while then fell into a funk again, that is why I think we were seeing him in the outfield. Even Gardy knows his role should be simply back-up catcher, he fills that role well.
Gardy has been reaching for whatever he could, to get someone that could hit or has been better as of late, than the "other" guy. That's why I think this lineup has changed so much lately. It's a case of who sucks the least right now!
Watching this team, I think that other than Mauer and Morneau you could throw the rest of the players names in a hat and pull them out one by one, fill in the lineup card and come up with the same results.
Your point about consistancy is good, but with a team consistantly losing like this, I'd be shaking things up also. If Gardy simply stood pat and left the lineup exactly the same through this, he'd be catching grief for not being proactive and mixing it up.

 

[buckamania]

42 & jrs - I like Hicks as well! He's made a serious move in class coming up to the bigs in skipping AAA. He needs our patience. The Twins braintrust seem to be sold on him. I can't dispute his "potential", we'll see soon enough. Doumit, Parmalee, Plouffe, Arcia??? Interchangeable guys who haven't seized their opportunity and go stale as soon as they get regular shifts. Gotta be maddening to the manager and GM.

In fact, except for Mauer, Morny, & Willy, the rest of the position players couldn't get regular playing time on any other team than a last place team. I'm assuming that the Twins will continue the austerity program and pass on proven talent until Morny is gone and maybe Joe too. These are the kinds of guys we will continue to see, only the names will change. Now I see that I've literally copied jrs post above mine in this last paragraph. Great minds think alike??

 

[buckamania]

I'm sure you guys have noticed Liriano.
He's only made 3 starts, and it is against NL teams that haven't seen him much if at all, so take it for what its worth:
3-0 record, 18 IP, 25 K's, 6 BB, 1.00 ERA.

It figures, doesn't it? Seriously, I wish him all the luck but I'm glad we let him go. Tommy John guys haven't done too well for the Twins.

Just before he went "tits-up", Carlos Silva was 5-0 with the Cubs. Then the roof fell in and he was out of baseball, filthy rich from his Seattle deal from when he jumped from the Twins. In Seattle he was absolutely awful. According to MLB Network, at that time, the GM was apparently deposed for this deal.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Yeah, I understand that without the way basically our whole lineup sucks that it becomes tough. Its been more of a frusteration in other years with some guys. I'm just a big believer in the young guys and the future and I think they gotta just play. Arcia got his average up to around .320 with a couple big games in a row. Then he had an 0-4 game and it started to be more of a platoon again. We gotta wait it out.

Dozier I just simply dislike. I commend him for making a solid move defensively to second(he was horrible at short last year) but he can't hit. No power, K's, rarely walks and doesn't even get doubles.

One thing I have always been against and had a counter idea that is hard with this current team but wasn't in years past. I hate Mauer batting second(I realize he basically has to right now). He's our best hitter. Plain and simple. Guy is a doubles machine this year. Never understood why we have never tried him at say 5th?? His career numbers are all better with men on. .337 with 17 doubles...13 RBI just shouldn't happen. But thats what you get when you have Hicks(.047 and no walks style) and Dozier batting lead off. So, I know it may be tough right now, but I really think Joe at 5 is something that should have been attempted by now in his career. Hell, he batted clean up in the WBC.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

As for Liriano. I noticed, but going to need a much bigger sample before I even consider saying darn.

 

[buckamania]

Hey Buck
I'm sure PC has a lot on his plate also, with the new baby and all. He'll be back!
I'm heading out to Leech and Winni for fishing trip Fri. through Mon., so its all on you guys to figure out how to fix this Twins mess this weekend!



I like the 2015 optimism! Ugh, almost 2 more seasons of this?.....Whatever, at least there's hope right?
I couldn't agree more on the "merry go round" of old washed up rag arms. ENOUGH OF THAT ALREADY! If they insist on continuing this, give these guys incentive based contracts: Win 15 games give 'em 10 million, if they continue to suck: league minimum.
I have always been of the belief that young guys need to be given time to prove themselves at the major league level. Hopefully Hicks can get it together, at this point with the Twins being where they are, I am fine with letting him try to work it out and make adjustments. Arcia, same thing; we have seen more flashes of his potential thus far. It's time for Gibson to be up here and have the rest of the season to pitch in the majors. What the heck bring Sano up for a look-see as well. To me that's what this season should be about if they are serious about re-building. Even if we continue losing, at least that would be worth watching.

jrs - I really liked your ending rant! Incentive contracts is how you and I are paid. I know I don't have no "stinkeen" guaranteed contract! Har, har!

Have a good time on Leech & Winny. Walleyes & crappies super-shallow at nite and on cloudy, crappy days. Let the minnow lie on the sand for the sluggish walleyes. They'll pick 'em up. Crappies could be in the pencil weeds if they are emerging. Cast the smallest twister-tail jig you can and throw w/o a minnow. We went 1/16th oz. with 4lb. test during the day. Slow troll shallow-running shad raps in the dark. Both were deadly for us! Good luck!!

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Miggy with a bomb. This guy is just crazy.

Mauer...single. Willy DP.

Morneau...double(lead off). Doumit pop up no advance. Parmelee single. Dozier cue ball lucky bobble saves Dp.

Gonna start sounding like a broken record but man, its the same guys every game, good and bad. Josh still gets a pass....for now.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Willy!!!

He hit that because I said I was still giving him a pass!! Took the weight off the Shoulders!!!

 

[jrs21]

jrs - I really liked your ending rant! Incentive contracts is how you and I are paid. I know I don't have no "stinkeen" guaranteed contract! Har, har!

Have a good time on Leech & Winny. Walleyes & crappies super-shallow at nite and on cloudy, crappy days. Let the minnow lie on the sand for the sluggish walleyes. They'll pick 'em up. Crappies could be in the pencil weeds if they are emerging. Cast the smallest twister-tail jig you can and throw w/o a minnow. We went 1/16th oz. with 4lb. test during the day. Slow troll shallow-running shad raps in the dark. Both were deadly for us! Good luck!!

Thanks Buck! Yeah I'm sure it will be a good time, Runnin' Rapalas after dark is probably my favorite way to fish. Turn on the radio, put the rods in the holders and wait for 'em to buckle over, and
I finally stuck the boat in the water tonight and everything started/ran/worked. Its a good thing, nothing like waiting till the last minute huh?

Willy!!!

He hit that because I said I was still giving him a pass!! Took the weight off the Shoulders!!!

This is where your wrong 42, He hit that one because I opened my big mouth and said that he was hitting so poorly, that he should be moved down in lineup. Maybe I'll just keep talking smack about him to keep him motivated.

 

[jrs21]

So the Twins get off to a good start tonight and our bullpen which is supposed to be the strongest part of our team give 4 runs back in the 7th and 8th.
Gonna have to put the rally caps on now!

 

[jrs21]

Well so much for that, I guess I'll turn my cap right-side out now.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

In the words of Bryce Harper....Twins are a clown team, bro.


Seriously, another total choke job and just because I feel like it I'm putting it all on that jackass Dozier. This guy is literally the definition of bad. I get angry when other teams waste my time and make pitching changes to match up with him. He can't hit anyone..lefty, righty, sidearm, over hand, white, mexican, black, asian. Usually cuz he swings at balls.

Get used to it folks. That bastard is my new fall guy. I usually pick 1 player. He has replaced Doumit. Not seeing Dozier being replaced anytime soon til demotion.

 

[buckamania]

Thanks Buck! Yeah I'm sure it will be a good time, Runnin' Rapalas after dark is probably my favorite way to fish. Turn on the radio, put the rods in the holders and wait for 'em to buckle over, and
I finally stuck the boat in the water tonight and everything started/ran/worked. Its a good thing, nothing like waiting till the last minute huh?



This is where your wrong 42, He hit that one because I opened my big mouth and said that he was hitting so poorly, that he should be moved down in lineup. Maybe I'll just keep talking smack about him to keep him motivated.

jrs-You're probably on your way or maybe even on the water already. Don't forget the drain-plug (tee hee!) I've done that just once, after that you never do it again.

I saw the replays of last nite's game. It kinda looked like a Chinese fire-drill at the end but there was one constant that can't be ignored: Miguel Cabrera continues to deliver in the crunch nearly every game as did Prince in his last at bat. The Tigers are a powerhouse, the Twins are a powder-puff. The Twins wilted as they did to the Yankees in all those playoff games. I'm so used to this now that I didn't even beat my wife last nite. Guess what I did beat.....nyuk, nyuk!

 

[powerchord86]

That game was crazy. But was hoping for a better result.

It looked bad, then it looked good, then got competitive and finally.. fail.

Cool to at least see them go punch for punch with the Tigers though. They like to play them tough.

 

[BigDDude]

DETROIT -- Chris Colabello never thought it would be easy. Not after all the hard work he put in playing seven years in the independent Canadian-American League without any clear path to the big leagues.
So Colabello wasn't surprised when a car crashed into Triple-A Rochester's team bus at 3 a.m. as it headed back from Lehigh Valley, Pa., to Rochester, N.Y., so he could catch his flight to Atlanta to finally fulfill his lifelong dream of making it to the Majors.
"I just figured it would be hard because it's how things have been for me my whole life," Colabello said with a smile. "If things would've gone smoothly, it wouldn't have been for me."
The 29-year-old journeyman had just found out two hours earlier, at 1 a.m. ET, that he'd be joining the Twins on Wednesday morning with Trevor Plouffe being placed on the seven-day disabled list with concussion-like symptoms. Colabello was in the middle of a game of cards with a few teammates when Rochester manager Gene Glynn interrupted and gave him the good news -- that he would be heading to the Major Leagues for the first time.
"It was a little bit of shock, a little bit of tears, a little bit of laughter -- so a lot of emotions, I guess," Colabello said. "Everyone was so thrilled. To be able to share that with those guys and to see the excitement that a lot of those guys on the bus had for me was one of the things that was the most special about the moment."
Colabello was given his itinerary -- he'd be departing on a 6:25 a.m. Delta flight to Atlanta to make it in time for the Twins' noon game against the Braves -- and with the bus scheduled to arrive at 4 a.m., he figured he'd have plenty of time. But the bus crash changed those plans, and Colabello didn't even arrive at the airport until 5:47 a.m. Thankfully, he was able to get through security just in time to make the flight.
Colabello caught a few hours of sleep on the plane and arrived at Turner Field to find out he'd be making his Major League debut in right field and batting sixth. It didn't go quite the way he wanted -- he went 0-for-4 at the plate in an 8-3 loss -- but he was still overjoyed by the experience.
"It was everything I could've imagined it to be," Colabello said. "You obviously hope you come up and help the team win and be productive, but overall it was an amazing experience."
It was simply the moment Colabello had been waiting for after seven years playing in the independent Can-Am League with his only taste of affiliated ball coming in 2006 as a non-roster invite in Spring Training by the Tigers in Minor League camp.
A Milford, Mass., native, Colabello starred for the local Worcester Tornadoes, including a breakout year in '11, when he hit .348 with a 1.010 OPS en route being named the league's MVP and Baseball America's Independent League Player of the Year.
Colabello finally got his chance to join a big league organization when Minnesota came calling after the '11 season, and he ended up putting up monster numbers at Double-A New Britain last year. He hit .284 with 19 homers and 98 RBIs in 134 games to finish as the runner-up in the Eastern League MVP Award balloting.
That carried over into an impressive stint with Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, and Colabello proved he could do it at the Triple-A level, too, hitting .358 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs in 46 games with the Red Wings. His play with Rochester essentially forced the Twins' hand, as the natural first baseman also took reps in right field for three weeks to improve his versatility with Justin Morneau blocking his path at first base.
"He was killing it down there," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Just absolutely killing it. And Gene Glynn told me he was doing fine in right field."
So after all those years of people telling him that his dream was just that -- a dream -- Colabello was able to make it a reality.
"People asked how long I was going to do and how long I was going to keep going with no clear path, but I think I used that as fuel," Colabello said. "I don't take no for an answer very well. It's part of my makeup."
Colabello's teammates have noticed that drive, too, especially reliever Caleb Thielbar, who was his roommate during Spring Training and also took the unusual path to the big leagues via the independent leagues. But Thielbar, called up just two days before Colabello, is most impressed by Colabello's persistence, as Thielbar only pitched one year with the independent St. Paul Saints before signing with the Twins in '11.
"It's awesome, especially for him," Thielbar said. "He spent a lot more time there than I did. His story is pretty crazy. It's unbelievable. I can't fathom doing that; just wondering if you're ever gonna get a shot."
So for Colabello, his story has a fairytale ending, as he can now always call himself a big leaguer after playing on Wednesday. But now he wants to prove he can stick with Minnesota despite his long and unorthodox road to the Majors.
"I believe in my ability to play the game, I know that," Colabello said. "It's something I wished for for seven years. As much as I loved playing the game in indy ball, I've always wanted to see if I could do it here."

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Screw this organization. Not only do we blow but we are mentally ill in the head.

First, Plouffe to the DL. We bring up a f'ing outfielder. This guy is 29 for a reason. Now we demote Arcia and keep this fool up here? I don't care what his minors numbers are. We are building for 2015...this Cabello or whatever the hell hes named isn't a part of that plan.

Walters? You have got to be joking. We suck so we decide to bring up worse players? Where the hell is gibson?? Do we have a rule you have to be approaching 30? News flash...there is a reason Deduno(WBC game him benefit of doubt but clearly still sucks), Walters and this RF clown are not in the major at 28 and 29. THEY ARE NOT GOOD.

We are building for something and rather than give our young top prospects valuable experience we play these old fools and cater to idiots like Dozier and Doumit. Dear lord, if you are going to suck at least suck with young players who can develop.

This is the final straw. Run by a bunch of baboons.

Am I the only one missing the logic in this??

 

[buckamania]

Screw this organization. Not only do we blow but we are mentally ill in the head.

First, Plouffe to the DL. We bring up a f'ing outfielder. This guy is 29 for a reason. Now we demote Arcia and keep this fool up here? I don't care what his minors numbers are. We are building for 2015...this Cabello or whatever the hell hes named isn't a part of that plan.

Walters? You have got to be joking. We suck so we decide to bring up worse players? Where the hell is gibson?? Do we have a rule you have to be approaching 30? News flash...there is a reason Deduno(WBC game him benefit of doubt but clearly still sucks), Walters and this RF clown are not in the major at 28 and 29. THEY ARE NOT GOOD.

We are building for something and rather than give our young top prospects valuable experience we play these old fools and cater to idiots like Dozier and Doumit. Dear lord, if you are going to suck at least suck with young players who can develop.

This is the final straw. Run by a bunch of baboons.

Am I the only one missing the logic in this??

Nope! I'm with you on this one! I just know the cavalry is coming over the hill to rescue us.

The Twins suk at the ownership level and it flows down all the way to the janitors. I haven't been to target Field but I'll be there in August. I'll bet the toilets are covered with crap. This problem goes way, way, beyond Gardy. He's just the waitress in all of this. Why yell at him? He didn't buy the food and prepare it. He just delivered it, that's all. If he wasn't such a loyal-guy he'd have exploded years ago and let himself get fired.

Nor, is this "ownership-thing" exclusively a Twins problem. Ask Cubs fans, Royals fan, Pirates fans, Padres fans, and on & on & on! All of those teams have paraded new managers through their doors for decades and they still can't win. Sooner, or later one must realize that on a perennially losing team, if the players & mangers are constantly changing, while the ownership remains the same, it's the ownership that is at fault for the losing. There can be no other reason other than bad luck or a communist conspiracy. Neither of those latter theories are valid in my opinion.

I truly expect Gardy to be sacked soon, way sooner than the owners issuing a public apology to Twins fans for their own stupidity. The average fan doesn't get any of this. He wants instant pay-back, blood in the water, fire the manager!! I'll watch Gardy's dismissal with a private smile knowing that the next guy will soon be the brunt of all the fans wrath when the Twins are still in last place while Gardy is retired with the weight of the world no longer on his shoulders. Maybe he'll retire to Ft. Myers and sip champagne cocktails with me and Bert Blyleven down on Ft. Myers beach!!

 

[HammerDown]

Pretty interesting.

 

[buckamania]

Pretty interesting.

It figures! When you really need and want Joe to get a hit he hits into a DP. When you don't want him to get a hit he does! What an enigma Joe is!

 

[HammerDown]