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Blogs

Curveball Blog

HildenWho?

Hildenwho? Was my thought when I first saw Trevor Hildenberger pitch for the Minnesota Twins. I hadn’t heard much about him aside from rumblings he was performing consistently well at AAA Rochester. The then 26 year old was drafted in 22nd round of the 2014 amateur player draft out of UC Berkley. He was pick 650 overall, but who’s counting? This was all news to me. The Twins had been through a dearth of ho-hum relievers on their way to a typically mediocre bullpen. I didn’t pay much attention to
Hosken's Blog

On acquiring Yu Darvish or Gerrit Cole

On Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB wrote that the Minnesota Twins are still more likely to upgrade their pitching rotation for 2018 through free agency than by trade.   And on Tuesday, MLB Trade Rumors reported off of a 1500 ESPN tweet that pitchers’ agents were getting the sense that the Twins (i.e., Derek Falvey and Thad Levine) were putting off talks until Yu Darvish announces his decision to sign.   Reading between the lines, one can interpret these reports to mean that the Twins have not bee
SD Buhr/Jim Crikket

Vikings Embark on Redemption Tour

It all begins today with the National Football League's Wildcard games.   This is the year that the Minnesota Vikings exorcize their demons one week at a time. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Joe-Kapp-600x405.jpg I'm calling it right now. The Vikes are going to erase the memory of past failures every time they take the field in the postseason.   Think about it... what are arguably the biggest disappointments in Minnesota Viking history?   For my money, I'd list them t
Distraction via Baseball

Johan Santana and the duel at the Dome

All the Hall of Fame ballots are postmarked. More than 100 have been revealed. Of those, only three voters have checked the name of the greatest pitcher I’ve ever regularly watched. Johan Santana’s time on the writers’ ballot looks to be short and unsuccessful. Others have written compelling and thorough articles about Santana’s case. I’m mostly sad that he’s only 38 and we’re already having this discussion. I want to think about Santana at the height of his powers. I want to remember a game tha
Off The Baggy

Pen Provies Possible Upside In Minnesota

As things stand, the Minnesota Twins have made two moves regarding their bullpen this offseason. In signing both Fernando Rodney and Zach Duke to one-year deals, they bring in proven veterans with skills in all the right places for the Twins. It seems Derek Falvey and Thad Levine sent a message in their relief acquisitions, and looking back to 2017, it is one that should be well received.   While teams have long since began venturing down the path of super bullpens, some of them go about it diff
Musings from Twins Territory

Mauer's Future

This article was originally posted back in January, but with Mauer's 2000th hit Tom wanted various Mauer articles. I haven't changed much, but have added more data to support my opinion. I'd also just like to mention that I did not change my opinion on a potential salary for 2019 and beyond despite his torrid start to the season.   It's no secret that Joe Mauer is entering the final year of his 8 year, $184 million contract extension signed in 2010. It's also not a secret that Mauer isn't the
Off The Baggy

Diving Into Twins 2018 ZiPS

Today, Dan Szymborski released the 2018 Minnesota Twins ZiPS projections via Fangraphs. If you aren't familiar with ZiPS, they are simply a projection system (similar to Steamer, KATOH, PECOTA, etc) that attempt to look at potential production for an upcoming season. Projection systems don't account for situations in real time, and are using statistical analysis to draw future conclusions.   After appearing in the Wild Card game seemingly out of nowhere, the 2018 Twins have some heightened expec
Curveball Blog

Eddie Rosario and the Battle for Plate Discipline

Eddie Rosario has always been a polarizing player for me. In his first extended stint with the Twins in 2015, he showed flashes of a really exciting all round game. He was a good base runner (4.7 runs above average), a solid defender (2.2 runs above average), and clobbered 13 home runs in his age 23 season. Rosario had excelled throughout 5 minor league destinations, and was noted for having an exceptionally quick bat and hands. There were a few major problems. Rosario struck out a lot (25% in 2
Off The Baggy

Will The Real Kyle Gibson Please Stand Up

Entering the 2018 Major League Baseball season the Minnesota Twins greatest need is starting pitching. Obviously, that is a similar narrative for many teams across the sport, but there's little denying that things line up for the hometown team to make a big splash in the starting rotation. While Jose Berrios and Ervin Santana are locks among the five this year, Paul Molitor will have to quickly find out what Kyle Gibson he has in 2018.   The former 1st round (22nd overall) pick by Minnesota in 2
SD Buhr/Jim Crikket

Ridiculously Premature Enthusiasm for Kernels' 2018

It's too early for this.   It's too early to be looking at which of the hundreds of minor leaguers currently a part of the Minnesota Twins organization might take the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids this summer. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LewisWatkins17-600x400.jpg Tommy Watkins is moving up to AA Chattanooga to manage in 2018, but Royce Lewis could be back in Cedar Rapids to start the new season (Photo: SD Buhr)   It's definitely too early to
mikelink45's Blog

Happy New Years to the 2018 WS Champions

Ah, New Years, time for resolutions that will last a week or two. Let’s lose all our extra pounds, work out more, be smarter, be more beautiful… Well it is a time of reflection which is good and it is a time for hope. And no sport is better situated to take advantage of hope than baseball. Hockey and basketball are in the middle of their never-ending seasons and football just eliminated hope for over half their teams with the playoffs about to begin. But baseball is in the smoky haze of the hot
SD Buhr/Jim Crikket

Thank You, Betsy

If you're a Minnesota Twins fan, you're probably already well aware of the allegations that independent photographer Betsy Bissen went public via Twitter a couple days ago with her #MeToo experience involving Twins star Miguel Sano. I won't go into all the details but you can easily find them with a quick browser search.   (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)   http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/metoo-300x169.jpg   In a nutshell, Betsy's account i
The Line of Mendoza

Minnesota Twins Fans vs The Pohlad Family

This post is inspired by the comment sections of both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St Paul Pioneer Press. I enjoy spending my time scrolling through these sections to see how the small amount of internet trolls are getting people worked up. After reading through these newspaper sections, it is a relief to come over to Twins Daily and read from well-informed and realistic fan base.   With that being said - no matter who is making the baseball personnel decisions; Thad Levine or Derek Falv
The Line of Mendoza

2018 Free Agents and Potential Minnesota Twins Targets

With the Minnesota Twins currently in the middle of the off-season and getting prepared for Pitchers and Catchers to report to Fort Myers, FL in 49 Days. I wanted to jump ahead to the highly anticipated 2018 Free Agent Class. It appears that the 2017 has been underwhelming for most with the consensus that the Twins seem to be preparing to "Make Their Run" in 2019.   The Twins Free Agents will include Joe Mauer ($23 Mil), Brian Dozier ($9 Mil), Eduardo Escobar ($2.5 Mil), Fernando Rodney ($4.5 Mi
BW on the Beat

2017 Minnesota Twins Report Card: Alan Busenitz

This is a series of evaluations that will be done this offseason on every player that closed the season on the 40-man roster for the Minnesota Twins throughout the winter until each player has been evaluated. The plan is to start with Mr. Belisle and move all the way through the pitchers, then to the catchers, infielders, outfielders and finally those listed as designated hitters on the club’s official MLB.com roster. That means we’ll wrap it up with Kennys Vargas sometime before the season star
The Line of Mendoza

Hypothetical Baseball Realignment & How It Would Affect The Minnesota Twins

This was an article/idea that I wrote back originally back in 2013. I've updated it to include the changes MLB have already implemented, like removing the significance of the All-Star in the World Series Home Field Advantage.   Back in 2013, I had been listening to the baseball commentators, reading ESPN, SI and MLB.com about the uneven schedules pertaining to having inter-league play everyday and how people don't seem to like it. Personally, I am not a fan of the inter-league play and would pre
The Line of Mendoza

Minnesota Twins & The Moneyball Strategy

Happy Holidays to everyone and welcome to my first Blog Entry here on Twins Daily. I am new to the writing/blogging scene (probably several years behind the curve) but I am not new to either baseball and the Minnesota Twins.   My background in baseball includes a playing career in both High School and College along with coaching in the collegiate ranks here in the Midwest. I currently expand my baseball background my reading about Owners, Sportswriters, Broadcasters, Managers and Individual Play
What if the Twins had drafted Prior or Teixeira instead of Mauer?

What if the Twins had drafted Prior or Teixeira instead of Mauer?

What if the Twins had drafted Mark Prior or Mark Teixeira instead of Joe Mauer? Key Players Affected by Alternate Draft Choices 2002 Prior WAR: 2.6 ERA 3.32 FIP 3.16 xFIP 3.04 2003 Prior WAR: 7.5 ERA 2.43 FIP 2.47 xFIP 2.92 2004 Prior WAR: 2.7 ERA 4.02 FIP 3.53 xFIP 3.64 2005 Prior WAR: 2.8 ERA 3.67 FIP 3.85 xFIP 3.38 2006 Prior awful 2002 Mauer xxx 2003 Mauer xxx 2004 Mauer WAR 1.2 .308/.369/.570 wRC+ 139 2005 Mauer WAR 3.4 .294/.372/.411 wRC+ 108 2006 Mauer WAR 6.2 .347/.429/.507 wRC+ 141 2007
Off The Baggy

Twins Two Bagger: Sano and Duke

While you were opening presents, spending time with your family, and scarfing down cookies on Christmas, the Minnesota Twins went shopping in the free agent pool. Zach Duke becomes the latest member of Paul Molitor's bullpen, and that has some different narratives we need to discuss. Then this morning, Darren Wolfson dropped a Miguel Sano sized bomb that needs some more dissecting as well.   Duke, who will pitch the 2018 season at the age of 35, is just over a year removed from Tommy John surger
mikelink45's Blog

Two Sport stars

Maybe it was seeing Bo Jackson on a commercial, looking like a younger version of George Foreman that got me thinking about two sport athletes, maybe it is the big deal that is being made over Ohtani being a two way pitcher/hitter in the major leagues, or perhaps it was looking at the baseball cards from my old favorite Milwaukee Braves, but suddenly I was thinking about athletes, baseball players, who actually excelled in two sports at the major league level. Not the Michael Jordan type of athl
mikelink45's Blog

Bunting on Bluegrass

Last night I was doing research for a lecture I am going to give when I guide a trip to Nashville next fall. Nashville is most famous for the Grand Ole Opry and performers like Bill Monroe so I was looking at the history of Blue Grass – Monroe is the acknowledged creator of this form of music – and all of a sudden I was into baseball. Hard to imagine, but when a lecturer and college instructor begins researching the path can lead a number of directions. The passage from the book, Bluegrass, b
From the Plaza

Lucas Duda at DH

Last year at DH for the Twins looked like this:   Player PA R OBP SLG wOBA Robbie Grossman 257 39 .336 .398 .320 Kennys Vargas 129 17 .310 .425 .313 Miguel Sano 100 7 .300 .267 .254 Eduardo Escobar 74 7 .297 .424 .308 Joe Mauer 57 8 .386 .347 .331 Mitch Garver 12 1 .417 .500 .391 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 629 79 .326 .384 .309   Last year at the plate for Lucas Duda:   Player PA R OBP SLG wOBA Lucas Duda 491 50 .322 .496 .341       Th

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