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Hauvster's Rainy Day Thread

Hauvster

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Cant wait for this season to be over. Then I can look back at what I got right and what I didnt. And we can begin the debate on what needs to happen next.
 

Hauvster

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Ok, looks like I scored with Joe Nathan. Right on the money actually. The Twins dropped his option to save the cash. Now, if Joe only re-signs then I showed some outstanding insight into the situation. Blowing my own horn? Hell yea - I know how much it bothers some of you when I am right - so why not gloat a bit.:thumb:

Looks like I pegged ol' Justin right too. Did he have pre-existing conditions? Perhaps, but no matter how you cut it, that hit at second was for the girls. If that was all it took, this man is far to fragile to take up a roster spot, let alone tie up so much team cash. All things I have been saying for over a year now. Time to move on to a more physically and mentally tougher first baseman. You can like him, thats allowed, but he cannot and will not get the job done ever again. :amen:

I guess the big question now is whether or not the team will try and hold on to Mikey. If they DO NOT, then Joe Mauer will be here next season without any doubt. If they do keep Mikey, I think moving Joe Meower is a possiblity to keep an eye on.

I expect the pitching staff to blow up. The only ones not to be axed without hesitation will be Pavano, Duensing and Baker. In the pen, chubby Glenn Perkins will hang on as well. Oh, Gardenhire will kep Mijares as well, even though he has no value beyond one left handed hitter.

Keep your eyes on the wire, boys! No :second: place finish for me. Gotta win it all baby. Score so far, 2-0 Hauvster. Yeehaw!
 

Hauvster

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Major league bummer!! Joe goes to the Rangers. Man, that kills me. I agree with the twins on buying him out. 11 mill next season was just too much for an unknown quantity. But I really believed he would re-sign. A calculated gamble that backfired. Well, at the end of next season we can look back at Joe's stats and we will know if it was the right move or the wrong one. Just sucks to see Joe go :hurt:
 

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Now Cuddyer and Kubel have jumped ship. Not exactly the guys I would have dumped. No more protection at first if Morneau flops.
 

Hauvster

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Dead wrong on the pitching staff, I was :( and wrong also on Mijares. Never thought he would leave. He just isnt that good. Who else would want him? 2-2 geesh.
 

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Looks like we have a new season about to begin. Seems this organization did just about everything the opposite of what I would have done. But what is done is done. It cant be helped now. So lets take a look at what we have.

We have the softest first baseman ever at first. This is nothing but a failure waiting to happen so I can be proven correct. Thank you Justin, but its not neccassary. I would rather have you pack it in and save youself the embarrassment and me the accolades. I would rather win. Since I can do nothing about the situation, I will pray to whatever Baseball God will listen that this guy gets traded, or decides it isnt worth it any longer and retires.

Mauer will come back to some degree this season, I have no dobut. The hang up I have is the price. His statistical output will never meet the expectations of his contract. Thats just what it is. There will be no batting title this season, either. You will be lucky to see .320.

Nish is nothing.:bump: What was that?? If Casilla cant awaken at 2nd, then we will be stuck with a career platooner and a bunch of wannabees. I would like to see Plouffe get a shot - in large, due to his youth. If we are going to lose, then lets atleast make it an honest effort.

I expect Danny V to raise his average back up about 30 points. He will find his defense and things will be solid at 3rd. I'll take 25 homers and 90 rbi here.

I would have unloaded Mauer and Morneau and kept Cuddyer and Kubel, but alas, Cuddyer and Kubel are history. So we have a new guy in the OF. Lets hope his numbers stay at last seasons level. Not sure about Willingham yet, so I'll wait and see. I am hoping we get to see Span and Revere in the OF, but only if we are going to use their speed to the upmost. If you start them, and dont run them, you havent helped the team one bit. Would be better to go find some power....but of course, we had some and it left :frusty:

I had hoped to keep Nathan, but that fell away as well. Now we are stuck with Capps and thats just lame. Big mistake here. The front office is dealing with this situation as if hope and change really work. We hope Capps works out because we changed from Nathan.......FAIL.

Middle relief? We have some?

Starters.....geesh. You have Pavano and Baker that can hold their own. Not aces, not dominate, but you should get more than you lose (barely). After that, Blackburn, Liriano, that new guy who's name escapes me....nada. I had high hopes for Duensing last season, and I was let down. Perhaps the pen is his stronger suit? Maybe a second year in the rotation pays off? I dont know. All I know is that this rotation will make sure we do not win. It is a terrible excuse for a major league 5. Couple that with such a light weight line-up and I dont see any way we escape another disasterous ending. I predict another 90 loss season. If we only lose in the 80's, I'll count the season as some sort of success. Lets hope we find some unlooked for help from someone, but aside from that, I just dont see it happening.
 

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Baker to the DL. My God, its every year with that guy. Our starters are going to blow thsi year. But we knew that, didnt we?

Looks like Mauer and Morneau are starting to hit. Its ST, so lets keep our perspective. But it would be nice to see, since we are stuck with them both. I am thinking, that if Morneau can just put up a bit of power and hit 270-280 the first 3 months of the season, we can unload him for some value...some pitching. If he does that well, and the FO doesnt pull the trigger, they are even bigger idiots than I already believe they are. But looks like DH fits Justin for the time being, so roll with it.
 

Hauvster

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I am excited to see which of the younger fellows makes the cut. Looks like a few of the ones I wanted to see will be there. And Casilla injured again....man alive. These guys cant stay healthy to save their lives...or their season. He was someone I was hoping to see good things from.
 

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Too bad we still dont have Hughes. Looks like this team is turning younger. He would have been a good fit, I think.
 

Hauvster

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Well, the season is rounding the final turn, and it looks like the Twins have come up lame. I am disappointed, but not surprised. I dont think we will lose 100, but Jesus, is it really a consolation to only lose 90-something? Well lets take a look at some things I got right/wrong this season.

I thought Joe would be lucky to hit 320 and knock double digit homers. Looks like I am in the ball park. + 1
I thought Justin would top out at 250 with 20 homers and 50 rbi. He is hitting better than I thought, has a shot at 20 still, and has already topped 60 rbi. I might have to concede that he has done a bit better than I predicted. + 1/2
I had Doumit pegged to hit 250 with double digit homers and possibly 50 rbi. He avg is right on, his homers and rbi above the line. +1/2
I was dead wrong on Danny V. We'll just leave it at that. (-1)
I wanted to see young guys up here, and running. And it seems I have gotten my wish. Benny, Doz, Mast, among others have been stealing bases at a pace we havent seen on this team in a while. +1
I wanted to see Plouffe get a shot and he did. I thought he had power potential and I was correct. +1
Frankie and Blackburn needed to go, and they are now gone. Sweet!! +2
I was wrong on the bullpen though. I didnt think we had much there, but it seems we have some solid kids finding their niche. One of the few pleasent surprises this year. (-1)
I wanted the dead arms gone and the kids to get a shot. Hendrik failed terribly, but we found 4 (Diamond, Walters, De Vrie, Deduno) others that enjoyed some success. Something to build on. +1
I thought Pavano would be a stable work horse - wrong. (-1)
Baker was hurt - push
Casilla was hurt too much - push
Capps sucks - +1
Traded Hughes - push
I was looking at 71-91 record, and that might still happen.
I guess 8-3 is acceptable. One more month, and I can talk about what I think for next year.
Hope is a dangerous thing....
 

Hauvster

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What do we need for tomorrow??

Well, thats over. Cant say I enjoyed it much, but I did see a few things that give me hope. I'll tell you what I liked, and then what I think we aught to do. You can agree, or disagree, its all good.

Coaching: Ok, they canned everyone but the two guys I hate the must. On the plus side, lets just be honest...we had issues everywhere. Its clear that those folks werent getting it done. Perhaps a new pair of eyes watching, a new set of lips talking, a new way of thinking, might help us out. But for the life of me, I cant understand why it wasnt a clean sweep. I seriously doubt the wisdom of keeping Gardenhire (Anderson) while firing the rest. I am truly perplexed.

Starters: Finally, we cut a lot of the dead weight loose. Good bye Frankie, Blackburn and Pavano. I think they will option out Baker, and much like Nathan last season, I think it is the right move. If he stays, let him earn his pay. Everything I read says that the front office understands we need to land quality starters. My fear is that we have two different ideas of what "quality starter" means. What I mean is an ace, and a work horse winner. If we get that, we have Diamond, Deduno and De Vrie....and Baker perhaps, we might have the makings of an exciting rotation. My fear is that we get a mediocre starter, and the FO banks on the return of Baker. Pls NO! Do this right. We dont have to suck next season. We DONT! Point of weakness 1

The Pen: I think we found some good arms to fill out the pen. I must admit my surprise. I had this pegged as the weakest part of the team. Not so now. Lets get BD back into the pen, where he has proven to be successful. Yes, I know he wants to be a starter, but lets just be honest....he hasnt made that work. Time for him to accept his role. Burnett, Fien, Burton...lets give them another season. I dont like Capps, so I pray he is gone. I am pleasantly surprised in Perkin's success in the closer role, so I am of the frame of mind to give him his shot as well. If the FO does this, I think the pen is a huge bonus.

First base: I give up. I surrender. I accpet the fact it will be Morneau. So here is the deal, Justin. You give us 280 avg, 20-25 hr's and 80+ rbi, and I'll say no more. No, I dont like you. No, I dont think you are clutch. No, you are not a tough guy or a leader, but I am stuck with you. Just give me some production that doesnt hurt the team and we have a truce.

Second base: This position needs some attention. I like Casilla, but he just cant seem to handle the job consistantly. I love his speed on the bases, but he cant get on base enough. I also dont want to rely on a career platooner either. I want a #1 guy who can produce for us. Do we have a guy in minors? Can Dozier do it? Do we grab a FA or make a trade? Do we put Plouffe here? Point of weakness 2

Short Stop: Again, unproven players here. It scares me to think that the middle of the field is so unsettled. We need to have two guys who can hold their own 150 games a year. Point of weakness 3

Third base: Ok, I have read that maybe Joe ends up here. I have zero faith in the intelligence of our FO (maybe Ryan fixes that), so if they are throwing the idea around to sound "deep" with baseball insight...bogus. If you are going to do this, then do it already. You have been talking like this for three years. Enough already. The bonus I see here is, that should Joe be able to handle it, that Plouffe is free to be moved. That could actually solve an issue for us if it works. I would need to see Joe in action to have a better idea on the move, but I am open to it.

Catcher: Skill wise, no problem with Joe being the catcher. Its that contract that kills me, and the team. But again, I concede. If Joe gets moved to third, I have no issues with DMitt being our #1 here. He rocked last year. Just need to find a backup NOT named Butera. Here is where I get nervous with Gardenhire still being in charge. If we get a real back up, then this position is strong.

Out Field: I really do like what we have out there. I can live with the speed of Revere and Span, and the power of Willy. Bring up a couple of guys for the bench and we are solid.

Des Hitter: Ok, this is where I think we could really benefit from a true power hitter. Its one thing we lack on this team, and the DH slot is a great slot for a guy with big arms and slow feet. I have read the talk about moving Willy or DMitt there, but I think that weakens us at the position they will be leaving behind. If it were my call, I look for a FA to fill this need. Point of weakness 4

So there it is. We need to find two starters, one of them of a higher quality.
We need to get the middle of our infield set with everyday players.
We need some power out of the DH position.
And get rid of Gardenhire.

That isnt that far off from being a real team. One that can compete. Not a World Series winner, per say, but one that fights for the division title. Some of these kids will grow, and a couple years down the road, maybe a World Series title wont make you laugh. But we have to be real about what is needed, then go and do it.

Hauvster :nod:
 

buckamania

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There you are! This was a really good post of yours, in my opinion. You addressed most of the issues that really face the Twins moving forward......to what destination, I don't know. If you were stop and re-read your points, but as an outsider, you'd have to come away thinking the Twins really have a mess on their hands. I know I sure do!

This team is suffering from extreme Front Office neglect. There were no plans for the future for their aging and injury-prone team, much like the Yankees experienced this year. When the players all broke down at nearly the same time, both teams went into the "shi_ter." The Yankees can recover much quicker than the Twins because of their great war-chest and commitment to buying the best talent as soon as it becomes available. The Pohlads have yet to reveal how they will deal with the aging Mauer, Morneau, Pavano, etc., etc. Hanging on to these guys is fatal, in my opinion.

Of course, where you and I differ the most is regarding your incessant fixation with Gardy. This buffoon makes no meaningful personnel decisions. That was Ryan, then Bill Smith, and now Ryan's job again. But our views are simply that..... "views." You and agree 100% on most everything else. Makes for good conversation! We have all Winter to hash the Twins over. Right now I have nearly zero-faith in the Pohlads presenting us anything more than mediocrity. Fortunately, I am often wrong............
 

Hauvster

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Except, if you agree with me, then you are almost 100% correct. Welcome to the club, Buck. Yes, I know, I need to get another chair.
 

buckamania

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Except, if you agree with me, then you are almost 100% correct. Welcome to the club, Buck. Yes, I know, I need to get another chair.

It's about your picture (I know, I know, all the nerds call it an avatar)...are you running for re-election somewhere really important this year?? I feel like I've seen you around somewhere.
 

Hauvster

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Why, yes, Buck. Thank you for noticing. I am running for the biggest loser award this year. I would really appreciate your vote. I promise you, I AM the biggest loser, and I will continue to BE the biggest loser....with your help. Dont vote for that rich guy who knows what he is doing. L..l...l...l..l...let me be clear on this. That guy will never be the loser I can be. H...h....h....h....he just cant do what I cant do.
 

Hauvster

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Here...we...go! Oh-lay, Oh-lay, Oh-lay!!

After two years I totally stink :10:, we are about to embark on yet a third. I am watching closely the moves in ST to try and gauge the seriousness of this team to compete. As things stand right now, I am obsessed.

As this team slims down (no pun Gardenhire), and I know not who will be on the roster, I will break it down as I do each year with what I believe will happen. Yes, I know, nobody comes here, and those that do couldnt give a shit what I think :agree:. Its all good, I dont do this for you, I do it for me :wtf2:. One, because I enjoy myself. Two, so that it is recorded in print and I can see that I don't know anything. :bullshit:. And three, so you can judge my self proclaimed brilliance or my insanity for yourself :clap: Even though I know you will never tell me it is the former. So buckle up bubba :yahoo:, I'll be back in a week.

The slumbering (drooling) giant stirs....
 
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Hauvster

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Here...we...go! Oh-lay, Oh-lay, Oh-lay!!

Seems my first attempt to post this "season starter" thread got lost :lame:, but true to form, I will try once more.

After two very lame 90(+) loss seasons, we stand at the start of yet another disappointing year. We still have a couple of weeks before ST finalizes our line-up, but I do not see a whole lot of hope at our disposal.

Once more, I will post my seasons predictions as soon as I know who is going to be on that roster. I know there arent many Twins fans that frequent this page, and those that do generally dont give a shit what I think, but I do not post my thoughts for them. I post them for myself :2cents: By putting my opinion forth, my thoughts become eternal, and I get to see just how close I come to the reality of the situation, and you all get to see how smart I am :10:

I dont require your imput, but if you feel so inclined, I welcome the discussion of your different PoV. So hang tight. When the final line-ups and the starting 5 are decided upon, I will break down what I think will happen with each player and at each position. We can then follow the season to its conclusion, and we will know who knew what :agree:

Ok, lets hope this thread sticks.

Hauvster out :yahoo:
 
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