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Blogs

Off The Baggy

Darvish Or Bust? Kinda...

At the Minnesota Twins embarked upon the offseason, one area of necessary improvement was in finding a top of the rotation starting pitcher. While ace types don't grow on trees, the free agent landscape had a few answers. Now, as the crop of available arms has thinned, it begs wondering whether it's Yu Darvish or bust for the hometown team.   While it's true that the Twins need to address starting pitching, it's also a fact that they need to focus on it at the top. Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios
mikelink45's Blog

Winter jobs

Boy were the times different. Isn’t that Lounge singer Denny McLain? Why is Bobby Veach mining for Coal between seasons. When comparing athletes from different generations there so many obstacles that statistics just cannot stand up. When someone quotes WAR for a player from the first half of the twentieth century to compare them with current players I have to believe that the person doing so knows it is a ridiculous exercise. It was not only how they were used in the games, the equipment, train
mike8791's Blog

Crushing or Flushing?

The MLB meetings are officially over and many more questions remain than have been answered for most organizations. While the lack of activity, especially among the top player categories, has been surprising, there are some tentative conclusions that can be drawn about Falvine and their impact on the Twins. We recognize the jury is still out until the dust settles, but let's stop for a moment to look at the state of the Twins as of now, at least.   There has been much talk about the opening of
Off The Baggy

What's The Big Deal About Big Money?

On May 10, 2017 I opined on Twitter that Yu Darvish would look really good in a Minnesota Twins uniform. He was an impending free agent, had ties to half of the new front office, and would be an ace for a team desperately in need of one. From that point on, it was mentioned that was a pipe dream. Now, it may still be, but the reality is many more specifics are being discussed. When it comes to a free agent contract though, how much sense do the dollars actually make?   I have no idea what Darvis
Off The Baggy

Twins First Deal Gets Creative

This morning, the Twins started off the Wednesday of the Winter Meetings with an agreement. Former New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda, was announced as signing a two-year deal with the club. Before diving into any specifics, Minnesota adding starting pitching is a good thing. Opening up the hood however, that's where this move gets juicy.   Thad Levine and Derek Falvey targeted an injured player with their first major league free agent signing of the offseason. Pineda made 17 starts for the
Halsey Hall Chapter of SABR

Interested in Baseball Research? Join SABR!

"Baseball research" in modern circles tends to be seen solely in the analytical sense. However, the group for which "sabermetrics" was named (by Bill James), the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR), is so much more than analytics. In fact, they are a research society focused on every aspect of baseball research which includes committees ranging from ballparks and the Black Sox to statistical analysis and Women in Baseball. Not currently researching anything or not really planning on res
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Off The Baggy

Feeling Out The Twins Tradeable Assets

As the Winter Meetings are underway, tons of scenario begin to be tossed around. Both free agents and trade candidates have names floated all over the place, and big league clubs are trying to best position themselves for the upcoming season. With the Minnesota Twins, exploring the trade route is an intriguing option, and one that Darren Wolfson has continued to suggest as likely for the hometown team. If that's the plan of action, what assets are worth keying in on?   Recently, a Pittsburgh Pir
Off The Baggy

All In Or Too Far For Twins

As the Winter Meetings kick off, largely the two biggest bombshells of the offseason have already been dropped. With Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Angels, and Giancarlo Stanton being traded (see: given) to the New York Yankees, it'll be hard for agent free agent moves to live up to that billing. For the Minnesota Twins however, a line in the sand has been drawn, and now it's on Derek Falvey and Thad Levine to figure out how they'll toe it.   In 2017, the New York Yankees matched up
Blog beckmt

Go big or go home

Found two interesting articles today about direction. One stated that with 5 clubs already all in (Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Angels, and maybe even the Mariners ). There was the comment that most of the rest of the American league should be sellers as best expectation would a wild card spot and a quick exit. The second article was in the Tampa Bay newspaper today and suggested the Ray's should do a total rebuild. That means all players with value should be traded. Twins should be wil
  • beckmt
mikelink45's Blog

Real Indian Ballplayers

We have all heard the complaints (legitimate to me) about the use of names like Redskins, Indians, and Braves professional sports teams. I will not go into the reason these are offensive and the degrees of offensiveness attached to each. What I am interested in is where the Indians are when it comes to the ball field. The photo I have put up with this is from my relatives in WI. I found the following list of American Indian professional players -   http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/ameri
Off The Baggy

Minnesota Makes Much Of Nothing

When Derek Falvey and Thad Levine consummated trades with both the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels, they made much of absolutely nothing. Sending $1 million worth of International Bonus Pool space to both teams, the Twins got two legitimate prospects in return. Knowing that Bonus Pool is really not cash at all, makes the move even more shrewd.   Going into the offseason, the Twins had the third largest International Bonus pool to offer Shohei Ohtani or any other international free agent
Off The Baggy

2018 Minnesota Twins Top 15 Prospects

As the Major League Baseball offseason trudges on, and the Winter Meetings soon commence, it's time to take a look at what the Minnesota Twins have on the farm. Over the past few years, the Twins have drafted higher in the draft, allowing them to stockpile talent replacing those who have graduated. Although the current class isn't headlined by a Byron Buxton, it's overall level is impressive.   Here at Off The Baggy, this will now be my third annual Top 15 Twins Prospect list. You can find 2016
Twins and Losses

Twins And Losses Supershow ep. 50

Dan and Panda are back with a bunch of baseball talk. Pretty sweet for December, yeah?   We talk about the vacant managerial position at AAA, the Twins' hiring of Masa Abe, whether the Twins have a shot at Darvish or Ohtani (we know the answer to one at least), why some Twins fans suck, and whether or not we should let steroid users into the Hall of Fame.   Check out this episode and all previous episodes on Spreaker, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Pocket Casts! Don't forget to like share, a
Off The Baggy

2018 IBWAA Hall Of Fame Ballot

Officially sent out on December 1st, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America has began accepting 2018 Hall of Fame Ballots. This is now my third year voting, and I'm proud of the privilege to induct players alongside fellow bloggers and other smaller outlets. Linked here, you can find my 2017 ballot as well.   Before diving into the selections, I'd like to lay out a few notations. Both Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Ramirez have previously been honored, which is why the remain off the
Twins and Losses

No, We Don't All Look Alike

I really didn’t think I needed to write this article. I really didn’t think I’d let the awful commentary on social media get to me. I figured it would die down after a few days. I was wrong. Very wrong. For having signed two notable named Asian players, Twins Territory (and what I hope is a very vocal minority[see what I did there?]) sure is up-in-arms about potentially signing two more.   With the news of the Twins actively pursuing both Yu Darvish (who comes with his own set of health concerns
BW on the Beat

WARNE: Power Ranking the Fits for the Twins in Free Agency

The hot stove has remained tepid to this point, and while that has been cause for a bit of antsiness among fans and people who care about this news, it also allows us to do what teams are doing with these players — dig in a bit deeper.   So today, we’re taking a look at the power rankings of the players who offer the best fits for the Twins as free agents this offseason with all avenues considered.   1. Shohei Ohtani – RHP/LHH – Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters   Because of the cost-to-potential rat
mikelink45's Blog

Radio matters

I read the announcement that the Twins were going back on to WCCO and I was delighted. It did not get as much attention now as it would have 30 years ago (of course they were on WCCO then) but that is because TV and all the cable networks have changed the way that we enjoy the game. ​Growing up in Minneapolis in the 1950's I would take my little transistor radio to bed with me and hide under the pillows to listen to Earl Gillespie and Blaine Walsh tell me about the Milwaukee Braves game. In the
Off The Baggy

One Abbreviation Highlights The Need For Another

This time of year, especially with the free agent market moving as slow as it is, puts the Hall of Fame in the spotlight. Although the Hall tends to do more bad than good in the press (yes Joe Morgan, you're at fault here), the ballot does get us to some intriguing talking points. I've written plenty about my stance on voting and who should get in, and I'll share my IBWAA ballot in the coming weeks. In 2017 though, the HOF highlights the need for the universal DH.   A quick look at the timeline
SD Buhr/Jim Crikket

Sorting Through the BS

A whole LOT of sports stuff has been going on over the past week or so.   Whether you're a Twins fan, a Vikings fan, a college football fan or a fan of one a team in one of those sports leagues I don't really give a crap about like the NBA and NHL, there's been so much stuff happening, that you could spend almost all day reading stories on every major sports site, just to try to understand all of it.   Who has time for that?   Well, I do, of course. I have time for pretty much anything. For me i
Off The Baggy

Shooting High Bodes Well For Minnesota

As the offseason continues, the Minnesota Twins will eventually make a free agent acquisition. While all of baseball appears at a standstill right now, dominoes will eventually begin to fall. Recently, Twins GM Thad Levine told MLB Network that the club is focused on both Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish. Although neither may happen, that suggests the club is in a good place.   In 2017, the Twins turned heads making the postseason as an Wild Card team. While the turnaround wasn't unexpected, winning
mikelink45's Blog

Grandpa's hands

I remember my Grandpa's hands. They were so big that when we arm wrestled they would wrap around my hand and over lap and people thought I had big hands. He had hands from being a lumberjack, from working as a fireman on the Iron range railroad, but he might have had big hands because he played country ball. He pitched, he caught, he played what ever was needed. He was not great, my uncles moved into various paid ball clubs, but grandpa always played and I was young and he was old and still he w
BW on the Beat

WARNE: The Twins Offense is too Good to Bunt -- Seriously.

Read this story in full on Zone Coverage here.   It’s a play as old as the game itself, and maybe that’s because the DH didn’t always exist. It’s the bunt, a time-honored tradition that is being phased out of the game more and more every year.   Fangraphs has sacrifice bunt totals dating back to 1895, and according to their database, the 925 sacrifice bunts laid down by teams in 2017 was the second-lowest figure in MLB history. Only the 1900 season (806 bunts) featured fewer, and there were only

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