2019 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

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TruthSeeker said:
Incredibly dumb argument. They've shortened the careers of hitters by going to 12 and 13 man rotations.
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They did this with a rule change? Hitters have more injuries due to having more pitchers on the roster? Please enlighten us with your incredible wisdom.
 



STrib: For Byron Buxton, more smiles and more hits

Byron Buxton wore socks with yellow smiley-face logos during batting practice Tuesday. His hosiery pretty accurately reflects his mood after two days of crushing baseballs during training camp.

“The more fun you have, the more you smile, the more relaxed you are,” Buxton said. “So that’s how I’m trying to stay.”

It’s easy to relax when you’re batting 1.000, when you have as many home runs in two Grapefruit League games as in your previous 61, when you lead all of baseball with 10 RBI before you finish unpacking. Yes, it’s a preposterously small sliver of success (and it doesn’t even count) in a sport that requires months of it, but for a player as obviously talented as the 25-year-old outfielder, it doesn’t take much kindling to ignite a firestorm of optimism.

“I don’t care if these are spring training games or what kind of games they are, he looks like he’s having fun, from the time he comes into the dugout [before the game] until we slap him five and he goes back [to the clubhouse],” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s a nice way to start the spring. He looks great.”

He looks different, too, and it’s not just the added muscle that’s helping his fly balls carry over fences. Buxton used to change his swing about as often as his socks, but this time it’s permanent, he said. He consulted the batting coach who knows him best — himself — and has decided to heed his own advice.

“The whole offseason, it was just myself. So it’s my swing, my thought process, my thinking, everything with my swing now is me,” Buxton said. “I didn’t go to no hitting coach, I didn’t go work out with nobody, I worked out by myself, I hit by myself and that’s where it’s going to stay.”

No more trying to remember a dozen different hitting tips as a pitch speeds his way?

“Oh, everything is out of my head,” Buxton said. “I’m clearer now than I ever was.”

http://www.startribune.com/for-byron-buxton-more-smiles-and-more-hits/506412742/

Win Twins!!
 

STrib: Miguel Sano's boredom - and protective boot - may soon be gone

Miguel Sano was lying on the floor of the Twins’ clubhouse Tuesday morning, playing catch with himself by tossing a baseball toward the ceiling.

“I’m bored,” Sano said, as though that wasn’t readily apparent.

His baseball life is about to get more interesting, though. Sano will visit a specialist Wednesday, in hopes of getting clearance to stop wearing the protective boot that protects the cut on his right foot.

“His wound has healed pretty nicely, and we’re pretty happy with where we’re sitting,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after Sano sat out his ninth day of training camp because of the laceration. “He should be progressing, activity-wise, after this visit.”

Sano, who lost at least two dozen pounds during offseason workouts, suffered the cut on metal stairs during a championship celebration in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 25. The Twins, concerned the horizontal cut could reopen as he played on it, had him wear the walking boot beginning last Tuesday.

Sano has done some upper-body work since then, but has yet to do any hitting or fielding. That could change before the weekend.

http://www.startribune.com/miguel-sano-s-boredom-and-protective-boot-may-soon-be-gone/506412702/

Win Twins!!
 


Rats. Missed out on Bryce Harper. 13 years, 330 million. While it'd sure be exciting to have the Twins be players for a guy like this, they years/money is absolutely ridiculous. Those long-term deals almost always end poorly. Albert Pujols can barely get to first base at this point, and he's still got 3 years left on his deal.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
Rats. Missed out on Bryce Harper. 13 years, 330 million. While it'd sure be exciting to have the Twins be players for a guy like this, they years/money is absolutely ridiculous. Those long-term deals almost always end poorly. Albert Pujols can barely get to first base at this point, and he's still got 3 years left on his deal.
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He'll be making $22M a year over the last 3 seasons even. He'll be almost 40 by then.
 

Buxton with another HR today. Looking good so far.
 

Berrios just named the opening day starter.

...in just 3 and a half weeks, folks. And what if we get another 7 inches this Saturday/Sunday? And 6 more inches the following Tuesday-Wednesday? Not saying we can't melt all that snow, but...
 
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Bad Gopher said:
Berrios just named the opening day starter.

...in just 3 and a half weeks, folks. And what if we get another 7 inches this Saturday/Sunday? And 6 more inches the following Tuesday-Wednesday? Not saying we can't melt all that snow, but...
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I believe the field has warmers underneath so that helps. The grass is usually pretty green by opening day regardless of the weather. Just a few days with sunshine and temps in the 30's should melt snow pretty fast at this time of year.
 

Sano out until May with his heel injury. Only the Twins can turn a laceration into a 3 month medical adventure.
 

It really does seem as if the Twins consistently have problems with diagnosing and treating injuries. Now, in this case, Sano sustained the injury while playing in the Dominican, and came to camp already injured. But, whatever treatment the Twins adopted clearly did not work as expected.

I seem to remember reading/hearing that one of Falvey and Levine's goals was to revamp the medical side of the operation. seems like they've still got work to do.

On the flip side, this opens up 3rd base for Marwin Gonzalez to be the everyday starter. If he gets off to a good start, what the bleep do the Twins do with Sano when he's healthy? The Twins have to find out if Sano is going to be part of the solution going forward. He has to play. Could wind up being at 1st base if Cron doesn't produce. I can't see Sano taking AB's away from Cruz at DH.

just goes to show you, it's always something.
 

Sano has a way of disappointing year after year. Now he can go back to doughnuts.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
It really does seem as if the Twins consistently have problems with diagnosing and treating injuries. Now, in this case, Sano sustained the injury while playing in the Dominican, and came to camp already injured. But, whatever treatment the Twins adopted clearly did not work as expected.

I seem to remember reading/hearing that one of Falvey and Levine's goals was to revamp the medical side of the operation. seems like they've still got work to do.

On the flip side, this opens up 3rd base for Marwin Gonzalez to be the everyday starter. If he gets off to a good start, what the bleep do the Twins do with Sano when he's healthy? The Twins have to find out if Sano is going to be part of the solution going forward. He has to play. Could wind up being at 1st base if Cron doesn't produce. I can't see Sano taking AB's away from Cruz at DH.

just goes to show you, it's always something.
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Last year, it was Santa's finger that was hurt in October, nothing done until February, then he would be back in May which became August.
 


This is on the Twins' medical staff. They seem to be no better than Dr. Nick.
 

With a boot on his foot for six weeks he’s coming back heavy. Here we go again. :p
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
This is on the Twins' medical staff. They seem to be no better than Dr. Nick.
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How do people know this for sure? He underwent a debridement procedure previously. My understanding is in most cases, that takes care of the problem. It didn't in this situation for some reason so he needed another debridement. The stitches were probably put in while he was in the Dominican so that maybe has something to do with it.
 

GoodasGold said:
With a boot on his foot for six weeks he’s coming back heavy. Here we go again. :p
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I don't get this concern. He's not going home to sit on his couch for 6 weeks. He'll be under the Twins supervision the entire time.
 

GophersInIowa said:
How do people know this for sure? He underwent a debridement procedure previously. My understanding is in most cases, that takes care of the problem. It didn't in this situation for some reason so he needed another debridement. The stitches were probably put in while he was in the Dominican so that maybe has something to do with it.
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I agree the medical staff has a history of weird outcomes, but I can't see how this one is on them.
 


STrib: Twins prospect Royce Lewis off the field, but still in the game while healing

There are 60 stalls for 57 players in the Twins clubhouse at Hammond Stadium. Three are left open for either logistical purposes or for tenured players.

There are 63 players in camp, so a group of six temporary stalls are set up at a far end of the clubhouse, usually given to players who aren’t expected to last in camp.

This is where shortstop Royce Lewis, the top prospect in the Twins farm system and one of the best prospects in all of baseball, is dressing during his first major league spring training.

Slowed by a right oblique strain — he injured himself diving for a ball on Feb. 22 during a drill — that might keep him out of games until he’s cut from camp, Lewis nevertheless is absorbing knowledge from the veterans and coaches. He has even sat next to Hall of Famer Rod Carew during games, listening to his wisdom.

“Everything I can,” Lewis said. “I’m learning to build on routines, how to have a pregame, postgame routine and how to prepare for the next day. Because it is an everyday grind. It’s not about, ‘Oh, I’m playing today and then I don’t play until next Wednesday,’ like in high school. So it is just building a routine and just learning from these guys.”

http://www.startribune.com/twins-pr...ut-still-in-the-game-while-healing/506802222/

Win Twins!!
 

howeda7 said:
I don't get this concern. He's not going home to sit on his couch for 6 weeks. He'll be under the Twins supervision the entire time.
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On whose couch do u suppose he’ll be sitting in Minnesota :confused:
 

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Win Twins!!
 

I’ve all of a sudden become very intrigued with the Perez signing. Maybe they saw something in him others didn’t?
 

Souhan: Man with a plan: New Twins slugger Nelson Cruz is always right on schedule

Hitting is about timing. For Nelson Cruz, being a 38-year-old hitter is about time, and not just its passage.

Cruz isn’t just organized. He’s organized about the way in which he is organized. Cruz makes appointments to make appointments.

The Twins’ new slugger is known for keeping a meticulous daily schedule in his head. When a Twins official asked him to do a television interview in the upcoming week, he quickly said, “9:20.” He spends most of his waking hours preparing for the microsecond it takes to hit a big-league fastball.

“I like,” he said, “to know my schedule.”

The Twins have shied away from spending on older players. They made Cruz an exception because they could get him on a short-term deal, and he’s a designated hitter valued for his leadership qualities and a work ethic that has enabled him to hit 37 or more home runs each of the past five seasons.

Twins General Manager Thad Levine knew Cruz when they were both with the Texas Rangers.

“We still tried to do as much homework as possible on him,” Levine said. “Talking to people who knew him in Seattle, there were a lot of references to him working out, hitting, watching video, sleeping, watching more video, working out, watching video and then playing a game. There wasn’t a whole lot of variety or distractions.”

http://www.startribune.com/man-with...n-cruz-is-always-right-on-schedule/507068502/

Win Twins!!
 

STrib: Rocco Baldelli, staff still determining how many pitchers to take north

One decision manager Rocco Baldelli must make is how many pitchers he will take north. Will it be 11, 12 or 13?

“There’s just way too much going on related to all that stuff to feel like we know what we are going to do at this point,” he said. “It’s too far off and there’s too much going on to know.”

The number he chooses will be based on performance as well as who is healthy and who is out of options. He also will consider there are five off days before April 12, which allows him to open the season with a four-man rotation and move the fifth starter into the bullpen.

The number of lefthanders in the bullpen for the long haul also is up for debate. Taylor Rogers is considered a lock. Adalberto Mejia, who has given up one run over five innings in camp, is out of options.

Gabriel Moya, slowed because of a sore shoulder, hasn’t thrown in several days and has fallen behind. He made the Opening Day roster last year and pitched in 35 games.

“We’re taking small steps right now,” Baldelli said of Moya. “Again, no setbacks. But were making small steps going into next week and hopefully we’ll know more by next week.”

Then there’s long shot Tim Collins, out to show he’s put his two Tommy John surgeries behind him. He’s given up two runs over four innings — including a home run — so far. But he did strike out the side in the eighth inning Monday against Detroit.

“You bring a guy in from the bullpen with his good breaking ball and good riding fastball, that’s what you want to see,” Baldelli said. “You want to see bats missed, and that’s what he’s done. He’s shown us he can do it.”

http://www.startribune.com/twins-da...ng-how-many-pitchers-to-take-north/507062372/

Win Twins!!
 

Imagine a home opener on April 18, when the average high temp is 59. In reality--in 2019--there's gonna be a game here two weeks from tomorrow. :eek:

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CBS: Under-the-radar MLB MVP candidates

Jorge Polanco
MIN • SS • 11

My hunch is Nelson Cruz would get serious MVP love should the upstart Twins knock off the Indians in the AL Central this season. He was the big offseason addition and Minnesota will need him to have a big year to win the division, and that'll equal MVP votes. Jorge Polanco and a sneaky excellent player though, one with great on-base skills and good enough middle infield defense. Polanco served an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension last year, which I supposed could work against him, but a full 2019 season could feature a .380 on-base percentage, 20-plus homers, and 5 WAR or better. An unlikely MVP candidate? Sure. But who had Jose Ramirez developing 30-plus homer pop?

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...ould-be-the-2019-version-of-christian-yelich/

Win Twins!!
 

Bad Gopher said:
Imagine a home opener on April 18, when the average high temp is 59. In reality--in 2019--there's gonna be a game here two weeks from tomorrow. :eek:

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Bring back scheduled doubleheaders (not the day-night ones). I know it will never happen because of $$$$$ but it would be fun if they could do it once in awhile. Maybe like each team does 2 scheduled ones. I'd pay extra to see two games.

Reminds me of the doubleheader they had in the metrodome once against the A's (maybe around 2000?). There must have been a scheduling conflict that caused it. I believe both games went to extra innings too.

Edit: Found it, May 26, 2001. Game 1 went 3:45 and Game 2 went 4:03.
 
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