All Things 2021 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

[howeda7]

I wonder if he will be taking as more of Sano's ABs or Caves.

Kepler's until he's back. Then Sano. Cave's got to be in there! He is to Rocco what Nick Punto was to Gardy...

 

[howeda7]

 

[howeda7]

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

No No through 7 With Happ.

Something like this could provide momentum to right the ship - you gotta let him go for it.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

No No through 7 With Happ.

Something like this could provide momentum to right the ship - you gotta let him go for it.

You jinxed him IDIOT!

 

[golfing18now]

You jinxed him IDIOT!

I sat down with one out in the eighth as I was told about the no hitter bid. Saw six pitches or so until the bid was over.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

It never fails been ripping Jake Cave all year and then of course he hits the game winning home run. Of course the ripping is still justified, but it’s still ironic.

 

[Bad Gopher]

This roster is too good to keep losing like this. Tonight feels good. The concern, though, continues to be durability of the veteran stars.

 

[GophersInIowa]

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I sat down with one out in the eighth as I was told about the no hitter bid. Saw six pitches or so until the bid was over.

Think Happ was a great addition. Saw him last several years pitching for the Yanks and he is steady, durable for the most part and provides a ton of quality innings; also, think you need to have one lefthander in the rotation and he is a better option than Smeltzer and I think he has more left in the tank than Rich Hill.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

There’s the Jake Cave defense I’ve come to love.

 

[GophersInIowa]

What’s the point of calling up Gordon if they’re not even going to play him? Start him at 2nd, Arraez to LF and Kiriloff to 1B.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

So the “good” arms in the bullpen have not been used since the debacle in Oakland. Yes Rodgers pitched 2 outs on Friday but so what. Today in a 2-1 game Rocco goes with Cody Stashek and Caleb Theilber as opposed to Rogers, Duffy, Colomne, or Robbles. I just don’t get it. It’s like Rocco said well we are down 1 the seventh no chance we can win this one let’s use the back end of the bullpen.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Maybe they just ain’t that good.

 

[GophersInIowa]

They're unwatchable at this point. Just brutal all around.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Serious question, were they cheating in 2019? This is basically the same team and no one can hit.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Serious question, were they cheating in 2019? This is basically the same team and no one can hit.

The obvious thing for me is that they haven't been the same since James Rowson left. I wonder how long they roll with Hernandez and Varela if they continue to underachieve.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

The obvious thing for me is that they haven't been the same since James Rowson left. I wonder how long they roll with Hernandez and Varela if they continue to underachieve.

Watches today and Garver was striking out on letter high 93 mph fastballs...he crushed those in 2019 and now he can’t touch them.

 

[tmvander]

So the “good” arms in the bullpen have not been used since the debacle in Oakland. Yes Rodgers pitched 2 outs on Friday but so what. Today in a 2-1 game Rocco goes with Cody Stashek and Caleb Theilber as opposed to Rogers, Duffy, Colomne, or Robbles. I just don’t get it. It’s like Rocco said well we are down 1 the seventh no chance we can win this one let’s use the back end of the bullpen.

Stashek is 92 meat...there is no reason he should pitch this much.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Watches today and Garver was striking out on letter high 93 mph fastballs...he crushed those in 2019 and now he can’t touch them.

I don't want to jump to conclusions with only circumstantial evidence at best, but...I'd be lying if I hadn't thought about your hypothesis before this.

 

[Ope3]

Serious question, were they cheating in 2019? This is basically the same team and no one can hit.

There's zero chance only the Astros were doing it, they were just the only ones to be brazen and stupid about how they did it. Plus they had a former player roll over on them.

My guess is pretty much all teams were doing something with video that is no longer allowed. As others have mentioned, the Twins hitting coach has changed, plus the ball has been de-juiced a little. No bamba.

 

[howeda7]

So the “good” arms in the bullpen have not been used since the debacle in Oakland. Yes Rodgers pitched 2 outs on Friday but so what. Today in a 2-1 game Rocco goes with Cody Stashek and Caleb Theilber as opposed to Rogers, Duffy, Colomne, or Robbles. I just don’t get it. It’s like Rocco said well we are down 1 the seventh no chance we can win this one let’s use the back end of the bullpen.

Did you really have more confidence in Colome or Robles?

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Did you really have more confidence in Colome or Robles?

I would rather lose with the guys I’m paying to be in those situations and not the guys that pitch in a 8 run game either way. It is being very nit picky, but when you lose every decision is magnified. In a 1 run game in the seventh when the back end of the bullpen is rested I wanna see the top guys throw to maybe just maybe try to win the game as opposed to throwing in the towel, which is essentially what Rocco did in that situation.

I also don’t understand calling up Nick Gordon who is good defensively and then not playing him all weekend. What the hells the point, you line up stinks whether he is playing or whoever the shortstop is so might as well play a glove and at least the defense gets better.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

One thing with the line up I don’t understand is why buxton doesn’t bat 2nd. I want as few people on the base paths in front of him as possible. To me it makes no sense to bat him behind station to station Cruz when buxtons greatest strength is speed and Cruz in front of him takes that advantage away. Not that this change would have made any difference in the series, but going toward it would be nice to see. I would go

Kepler (sure out)
Buxton
Arreaz
Donaldson
Cruz
kiriloff
Polanco (sure out)
Simmons
Garver (sure out)

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

On Friday night, they scored two runs. On Saturday, they score two runs, the only change in the lineup is moving Tortuga up to the 7 spot and Jeffers 9th. Sunday, back to the exact same lineup as Friday. Four guys in the lineup hitting .200 or less and they refuse to even let Nick Gordon pick up a bat.

 

[Plausible Deniability]

What’s the point of calling up Gordon if they’re not even going to play him? Start him at 2nd, Arraez to LF and Kiriloff to 1B.

Yup. Finally time to see what Gordon can do at the big league level. One would think he's paid his dues by now. Then again, it looks like a good year to not care that much about baseball. Uggghhh.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Wait till they send Kiriloff back down when Kyle Garlick is back from the Covid list. That natives will not like this and I agree he should get major league at bats. He’s 23 already and who is blocking him from playing everyday? 29 year old Jake Cave and 28 year old Kyle Garlick. It’s time for the twins to actually play a prospect that they have been promising for years now.

 

[BleedGopher]

Twins' awful stretch of baseball does not mean it's time to give up​

But if the Twins don't make the playoffs, it won't be because they stunk in April. It will be because of what happens the next five months, and how they perform in the massive number of games they will play within the division.

If this were the NFL, the Twins would now be in the second quarter of their second game. In the Land of Football, it's hard to get baseball observers to understand just how long the MLB season is.

In 2019, the Twins won 101 games and yet went 8-11 from June 30 to July 24. Every team slumps. It just looks worse in April, and particularly in what we can only hope will be the Twins' last COVID April, as their starting shortstop and right fielder missed time with the virus.

With Andrelton Simmons, Miguel Sano and Max Kepler out, Twins fans are getting to see that their favorite role players should remain role players.

"Our guys need to settle in a little bit," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "And this has been a difficult year to settle in."

Sometimes facts and excuses are identical.

Twins' awful stretch of baseball does not mean it's time to give up

Worry? Yes. Panic? No. This is a talented team that still has five months of games to play.

www.startribune.com

Win Twins!!

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I am officially boycotting the Twinks for now and will not watch a live broadcast until they're back to 500%.

Additionally, if they are not at 500% by the time of my next monthly MLB billing date, I will be canceling; however, I will reserve the right to reup later this summer.

 

[howeda7]

I am officially boycotting the Twinks for now and will not watch a live broadcast until they're back to 500%.

Additionally, if they are not at 500% by the time of my next monthly MLB billing date, I will be canceling; however, I will reserve the right to reup later this summer.

Hopefully you mean .500. Robot Rocco's teams always give 500%!