All Things 2024 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread


Yet another one run victory for the Twins 👊
Pretty spiffy from our Ace -


He had never thrown a pitch at 98 mph in his career entering Thursday -- but he threw three of them in this game alone, topping out at 98.6 mph.
 

Pretty spiffy from our Ace -


He had never thrown a pitch at 98 mph in his career entering Thursday -- but he threw three of them in this game alone, topping out at 98.6 mph.
He sure has turned it around from a couple months ago. Now 14-8
 


He sure has turned it around from a couple months ago. Now 14-8
Wow - didn’t realize he was up to 14 now - awesome.

Without him we’re the Tigers and signing him to thst extension was a great move.

I’d love to know what his value on the open market would be now.
 




Left fielder Gary Ward went 4-for-4 in a 7-3 win in Texas on this date in 1983. It was Howard Sinker's first game as the Star Tribune's Twins beat writer.

Sinker estimates there were maybe 2,000 fans in attendance... on Labor Day!
 




Feel Good Friday​


I slept well and my optimism is baby in full bloom baby - Let’s snag two of three from those KC Kids!!

Gleeman’s column provided giddiness as well, since our playoff chances have increased during our recent electric slide -

——————-

Twins have lost 11 of 17 games and their odds of winning the AL Central are just 17 percent.

And yet, the Twins’ odds of reaching the playoffs — via a wild-card spot or the division title — have actually increased slightly during that three-week span, rising from 92 percent to 95 percent thanks to the Kansas City Royals (8-10), Boston Red Sox (5-12) and Seattle Mariners(7-9) struggling at the same time.

No team wants to limp into the playoffs, but simply getting to October is a lot more important than how you get to October. Last season, for example, both World Series participants were wild-card teams forced to win a first-round road series to keep playing. Just get there and get hot, as the Arizona Diamondbacksand title-winning Texas Rangers showed.

That will no doubt require the Twins to play better than they have recently, but it might not take much to hold off the various wild-card contenders trying to catch them. With the Twins holding a 5 1/2-game lead over the next-closest wild-card competitors, even if they go just 10-12 down the stretch, one of those teams would have to go 16-5 to surpass them.
 

Left fielder Gary Ward went 4-for-4 in a 7-3 win in Texas on this date in 1983. It was Howard Sinker's first game as the Star Tribune's Twins beat writer.

Sinker estimates there were maybe 2,000 fans in attendance... on Labor Day!
Those were the days when you knew you were a real Twins fan.

God Bless Herb Carneal as calling the Twins during those bleak years was a tall task. His dulcet tones were as soothing as a cup of warm cocoa on a January snow day and kept this baseball fanatic coming back for more.
 

Those were the days when you knew you were a real Twins fan.

God Bless Herb Carneal as calling the Twins during those bleak years was a tall task. His dulcet tones were as soothing as a cup of warm cocoa on a January snow day and kept this baseball fanatic coming back for more.

I actually look back at the 1983 campaign sort of fondly, as they went 70-92 and finished T5, when the year before they went 60-102 and were DFL. The kids were starting look competitive.

Also the HHH Dome installed air conditioning in June 1983. We didn't have central air at our house, so there were a handful of games my Dad was eager to take us into Mpls to seek shelter from the heat & humidity.

I think Cal also lowered the price of tix in the LF pavilion. Despite the improvement on the field, the AC and more affordable prices they only drew 858,939 which was their lowest ever at the MetroDome. It is the last time they failed to cross the Seven Figure mark (except for pandemic impacted 2020).

It was also the last full season in the Griffith era.
 
Last edited:

as a fan, you could literally walk up 10 minutes before game time and buy a ticket anywhere in the stadium, and you never had to deal with crowds or long lines at the concession stands and bathrooms. so from that perspective, it was great.
 



as a fan, you could literally walk up 10 minutes before game time and buy a ticket anywhere in the stadium, and you never had to deal with crowds or long lines at the concession stands and bathrooms. so from that perspective, it was great.

Going back and looking at the 1983 attendance by game, unless the Brewers or Yankees were in town, the turnstile count was rarely in the 20,000 range. Just a couple of outliers, such as Opening Day and maybe a few others with promotions/giveaways (I'm guessing).


Game times were swift. Not many 3+ hours.
 
Last edited:

"Discomfort". I'm trying to envision a scenario where a guy like Ronnie Lott misses large parts of nearly every season he plays in simply because he didn't feel 100% every single day.
My opinion of this is that the talent gap between the best of the best and everyone else is less now days. Ronnie Lott at 75-80% was probably still really good compared to the rest. Winfield Jr at 75-80% probably not as much.

This is especially true in baseball where the game has gone global. Bigger pool of players means less of a talent gap. Correa played less than 100% most of last year and wasn't very good.
 

I actually look back at the 1983 campaign sort of fondly, as they went 70-92 and finished T5, when the year before they went 60-102 and were DFL. The kids were starting look competitive.
Thanks, as your above paragraph provides a perfect definition of bleak years for normal teams/fans. Although, since we’re dealing with the Calvin era, fondly is wholly acceptable 😉
Also the HHH Dome installed air conditioning in June 1983. We didn't have central air at our house, so there were a handful of games my Dad was eager to take us into Mpls to seek shelter from the heat & humidity.

I think Cal also lowered the price of tix in the LF pavilion. Despite the improvement on the field, the AC and more affordable prices they only drew 858,939 which was their lowest ever at the MetroDome. It is the last time they failed to cross the Seven Figure mark (except for pandemic impacted 2020).

It was also the last full season in the Griffith era.
 

Minnesota Twins selected the contract of CF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. from St. Paul Saints

Minnesota Twins placed RF Max Kepler on the 10-day injured list retroactive to September 2, 2024. Left patellar tendinitis.

Minnesota Twins transferred LHP Kody Funderburk from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
In Theilbar we trust 🤞
 
Last edited:

I wonder if they're holding Correa off until the playoffs. That he could play through it right now but then wouldn't be as good come playoff time. Instead rest him as long as they can so he feels better come the end of the month and playoffs.

I hope that's the case anyways.
 

Pretty spiffy from our Ace -


He had never thrown a pitch at 98 mph in his career entering Thursday -- but he threw three of them in this game alone, topping out at 98.6 mph.
2.38 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over his last 12 starts.
 

My opinion of this is that the talent gap between the best of the best and everyone else is less now days. Ronnie Lott at 75-80% was probably still really good compared to the rest. Winfield Jr at 75-80% probably not as much.

This is especially true in baseball where the game has gone global. Bigger pool of players means less of a talent gap. Correa played less than 100% most of last year and wasn't very good.
I agree. When Buxton is playing with "discomfort", the Twins are probably better off bringing up a player from Wichita in terms of production.
 

I agree. When Buxton is playing with "discomfort", the Twins are probably better off bringing up a player from Wichita in terms of production.
True. But then they let Max Kepler play on a sore knee for two months and wonder why he hasn't hit HR since June.
 

True. But then they let Max Kepler play on a sore knee for two months and wonder why he hasn't hit HR since June.
That is indeed a paradox.

Perhaps some nuance, in that Kepler is a pending Free Agent (not an asset they need to be worried about beyond 2024) and has been a relative Iron Train compared to Buck.

My main issue with they way the Falvey-Levine have handled Kepler was picking up his Team Option for this year to begin with. Given the budget constraints, gambling that his hot 2nd half in 2023 could have been flipped to a tradable asset was Fool's Gold.
 



That is indeed a paradox.

Perhaps some nuance, in that Kepler is a pending Free Agent (not an asset they need to be worried about beyond 2024) and has been a relative Iron Train compared to Buck.

My main issue with they way the Falvey-Levine have handled Kepler was picking up his Team Option for this year to begin with. Given the budget constraints, gambling that his hot 2nd half in 2023 could have been flipped to a tradable asset was Fool's Gold.
Who would you have wanted to get for $10M to replace him?
 



Hard to believe this was 40 years ago from the 1984 WS -

That's gold. I actually ran across that a few months ago. I love Sparky in the other dugout.

In Gibson's career the 1988 G1 bomb he hit off of Eck is obviously more remembered, but this was a biggie too.

Interesting sidenote, that contest (1984 WS G5) was the last World Series game to be played outside and not in Prime Time. The Twins/Cards 1987 G6 was a late afternoon start as well, but played under the Teflon sky of the HHH Dome.
 

That's gold. I actually ran across that a few months ago. I love Sparky in the other dugout.

In Gibson's career the 1988 G1 bomb he hit off of Eck is obviously more remembered, but this was a biggie too.

Interesting sidenote, that contest (1984 WS G5) was the last World Series game to be played outside and not in Prime Time. The Twins/Cards 1987 G6 was a late afternoon start as well, but played under the Teflon sky of the HHH Dome.
I think the days of the crusty white haired manager/savant was done after Jim Leyland’s retirement.

Can you imagine sitting down for a couple of cold ones with : Sparky, Dick or Earl Weaver? Those analytics would be amazing.
 





Top Bottom