Did I hear that right, Sports Illustrated picked the Twins to win the Division? Preposterous Statement?
Twins have (slightly) improved this offseason and the Indians lineup got a little worse. Rest of the division will be god awful. Indians are still the team to beat, no doubt, but they’re more vulnerable this year than they have been in recent years. Probably just chose them to be different from everyone elses predictions, not because they actually think the Twins will win lol
It’s definitely possible the Twins win the division with the lineup they have. If their bullpen somehow has a good season they have a shot.
I know in the debate of whether it’s more fun to watch an offensive or defensive ballgame is typically passionate and one side can’t stand the other…I think a good and entertaining game can come out of either. This game right now is fun to watch and highlighting the pitcher’s duel aspect. I feel like you can almost feel tension in the game because the way these pitchers are dealing, one missed spot might cost them the game. Berrios looks great.
Agreed. Berrios looks really good and the new guys are responsible for all our runs. Now they just need to close it out. If Berrios stays strong I wouldn’t even get the bullpen up. Let him go the whole game so you don’t have to worry about it.
Can’t ask for much more out of the first game of the year!
Nice start. Who closed?
Nice start. Who closed?
I think it was Hildenberger??
Taylor. Faced 4 batters and struck out 3 of them.
36 degrees – Can’t be a fun game to be at today.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Twins finish 3rd in division after selling at trade deadline… not sure what they have to sell tho other than berrios. I don’t think you could name a person in their lineup that would be a starter for Boston, NY, Houston, etc.
A combination of cold weather and typical early-season pitching advantage has the Twins giving up only 1 run through the first 10 innings of the season. Looking good. Odorizzi has something like 11 k’s through 6 today.
I’ve caught bits and pieces of Morneau in the past years but I’m really liking his commentary through the first two games this year. Comes across like a soft-spoken, intelligent guy with high-level playing credibility.
Any break from Dick & Bert can be good. Thats the real downside of watching the games on TV.
Any break from Dick & Bert can be good. Thats the real downside of watching the games on TV.
Agreed. Very can barely put a sentence together and Dick just thinks everything from MN is the greatest thing in the world. He drives me crazy.
Is Dick Bremer the new polarizing Tony Romo/Paul Allen? Haha.
Mahto back me up on this one….very frustrating to see a runner on 2nd with nobody out in the 9th and not score because fundamental baseball should’ve gotten him to score. Go back to my ball-playing days and ask anyone the proverbial “you have a runner in scoring position with 1 or 0 outs, what do you do?” Answer: sacrifice him over. If Kepler sacrifices Buxton to 3rd, Polanco’s flyout scores Buxton and we’re tied. Instead with Buxton on 2nd and NOBODY out Kepler is allowed to swing away and strikes out. I feel like Twins fundamentals went way, way downhill once TK left the organization. Since then hardly anyone steals bases, sacrifices, etc.
Twins finish 3rd in division after selling at trade deadline… not sure what they have to sell tho other than berrios.
Watch baseball one time for me, then come back and share your opinion. Thanks! 
Is Dick Bremer the new polarizing Tony Romo/Paul Allen? Haha.
Mahto back me up on this one….very frustrating to see a runner on 2nd with nobody out in the 9th and not score because fundamental baseball should’ve gotten him to score. Go back to my ball-playing days and ask anyone the proverbial “you have a runner in scoring position with 1 or 0 outs, what do you do?” Answer: sacrifice him over. If Kepler sacrifices Buxton to 3rd, Polanco’s flyout scores Buxton and we’re tied. Instead with Buxton on 2nd and NOBODY out Kepler is allowed to swing away and strikes out. I feel like Twins fundamentals went way, way downhill once TK left the organization. Since then hardly anyone steals bases, sacrifices, etc.
That’s everywhere across the league. All about launch angle now. I love the long ball (and so do chicks ;)) but it seems so easy to score runs sometimes and they just flat out don’t do it. Don’t get me started on beating shifts
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>ajw wrote:</div>
Twins finish 3rd in division after selling at trade deadline… not sure what they have to sell tho other than berrios.Watch baseball one time for me, then come back and share your opinion. Thanks!
Good zinger!
I absolutely came off as an ass there, im sorry 
Twins may finish third in the division, but it wont be because they trade guys under contract for multiple years. They learned their lesson from Pressly last year.
As for the sacrifice bunt and beating the shift conversation… Im going to make sure to stay out of it 
No worries man. I have thick skin. It actually made me laugh
I’ll try and explain modern baseball.
With analytics base-runners lead to runs. Therefore you try and limit base-runners because base-runners and runs could lead to wins. Which we know without 14 strikeouts and 3 homeruns leads to a terrible game. So the fear in the Buxton example is that Kepler lays the bunt down instead of bunting a two strike pitch foul…which is considered a strikeout. (which is good) Now if he actually gets the down and moves Buxton over that means 2 pitching changes and a intentional walk to set-up the dreaded double play (also boring) So, as anybody can see the strikeout is much preferred over something as silly as a bunt. I mean really, how exciting is a win without a launch angle of 24 degree’s at 110 mph?
After-all, the point of batting Buxton 9th is so he can walk or strikeout and not be forced to actually get a hit and score runs. (remember hits, runs, batting average, low era’s are bad) Homeruns are good. Strikeouts are good providing the upper-cut provides the proper launch angle.
It’s simple really. The game was played wrong for the first 150 years and now the boy wonders will correct it all.
One last thing.
Who here doesn’t want to sit through 11 strikeouts in 6 innings in 36 degree weather only to see the game blown late by a non-play you learn in little league?
I see Bauer had 9 strikeouts through 6 also. 20 strikeouts in 6 innings…..riveting baseball.
You’re not a real baseball fan are you? Great pitching matchup.
One last thing.
36 degree weather
I see Bauer had 9 strikeouts through 6 also. 20 strikeouts in 6 innings…..riveting baseball.
One last thing? 
You’re not close to being done, I’m sure you’ll think of something else soon. 
And it’s no surprise so many strikeouts in 36 degree temps. Making contact with bat and ball stings the batter’s cold hands. They don’t get paid enough for the pain and suffering. Boo-hoo 
I understand that philosophy and game plan nowadays is “swing away and see what happens” I just disagree and feel like you could still use analytics to make the case for getting the guy to third. All you former ballplayers remember that old saying “there’s xyz more ways to score from 3rd than 2nd?” Sac fly, sac bunt, groundout, wild pitch, passed ball, balk, bad throw, etc. You just have to give up one of your outs to do so, but then your chances of scoring increase a lot.
If a lot of these guys’ averages are around .250 and they’re still having them swing, that must mean their confidence in them getting a bunt down is less than 25%, which is depressing.
Both games have been good and things are going pretty well, I’m not trying to blow up one thing, just frustrated with the notion.
I think the reason against it today was that Baldelli was playing to win the game and not wanting to take the bat out of his leadoff hitters hands. If you bunt with nobody out and a runner on second you’re all but giving up the chance at a multiple run inning. I’m anti bunting in 99.9% of situations, but today I would have had Kepler sacrifice Buxton to third only because I would have had faith in Polanco to not strike out. Anyone else up after Kepler and I probably have him swing away (besides Astudillo). I would have liked Polancos chances at putting the ball in play and scoring Buxton from 3rd. I also don’t hate going into extras against the Indians who probably have a worse bullpen than the Twins do.
Well shoot, now that I say that I see that Polanco struck out in 22% of his at bats last year as a R handed hitter. Hit a lousy .233 with an OPS+ of 73 (which means he was 27% worse than the average). Not great.
Out of curiosity, Astudillos numbers last year vs Lefties- 10/28 (.357) and 3 ks (10.7%).
Other people wanted to see the strikeout king himself, Tyler Austin, pinch hit for Kepler. There were 5 or 6 different things Baldelli could have done in that situation, but I really don’t hate him sticking with is guy. He chose Kepler to lead off, he wants to see him succeed more than anyone. Easy to say it didn’t work out after the fact. He’ll get em next time.
Is Dick Bremer the new polarizing Tony Romo/Paul Allen? Haha.
Mahto back me up on this one….very frustrating to see a runner on 2nd with nobody out in the 9th and not score because fundamental baseball should’ve gotten him to score. Go back to my ball-playing days and ask anyone the proverbial “you have a runner in scoring position with 1 or 0 outs, what do you do?” Answer: sacrifice him over. If Kepler sacrifices Buxton to 3rd, Polanco’s flyout scores Buxton and we’re tied. Instead with Buxton on 2nd and NOBODY out Kepler is allowed to swing away and strikes out. I feel like Twins fundamentals went way, way downhill once TK left the organization. Since then hardly anyone steals bases, sacrifices, etc.
Yeah that pissed me off but Kepler shouldn’t have even been in the batters box in that situation. One of the toughest lefty relievers in the game. Dutch and the others are right to a certain extent, it is unfortunately how the majority of the league plays it these days. I am a self admitted old school bunting fan, especially for this team who continuously show that they have no ability to move a runner over in any other way. Also, Buxton could’ve swiped third easily on 3 different pitches. He wasn’t paying much attention to him on the mound and was digging curveballs into the dirt with 2 strikes. Would’ve scored on the fly ball. There are multiple ways to move a guy up a base and none were achieved.
I’ll tell you one other thing that made me yell at the TV more than that Kepler at bat. The Ramirez HR. 3-0 meatball in a scoreless game with 2 outs and the guy on deck is a career .200 hitter. You have to be a complete idiot to give a guy like that (yes he’s past his prime, but I could’ve taken that pitch deep) a freaking meatball in that situation. I was watching the game at my house and my parents were over and even MY MOM said, “even I knew he was going to swing there”.
PS…..Morneau is great in the booth. Almost as good as Morris.
Good start to the season, I’d say
I’m finally able to enjoy watching baseball again. It’s refreshing to see a front office who doesn’t endorse the Gardy way. Also helps that Joe Manure hung up his cleats. Make the Twins Great Again should be the motto this season.
I’m finally able to enjoy watching baseball again. It’s refreshing to see a front office who doesn’t endorse the Gardy way. Also helps that Joe Manure hung up his cleats. Make the Twins Great Again should be the motto this season.
It’s funny you say that because the “Gardy Way” is exactly how they are winning games. Great defense, putting the ball in play, and great base running. They have 5 or 6 home runs the whole year which is what we all thought would carry the team. The last two years I couldn’t figure out how Molitor (one of the most fundamentally sound players ever) couldn’t get his teams to play with ANY fundamentals. Glad to see him gone as well.
Clearly they are getting better pitching but during Gardy’s tenure that was Rick Anderson’s fault. He might be the worst pitching coach in history.
That being said, I hope their bats wake up a little and they start putting up runs like we expected this season.
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