Reusse: 50 Game Grades

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/261039661.html

 

Patrick Reusse posted his Twins position grades through the season's first 50 games. He wasn't kind, as you'd expect, not that I disagree with many of his grades. I wonder what Brian Dozier needs to do for 2B to be an A.

 

What do you think?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Can't argue with most of it but Perkins at a B+ and Dozier at a B?

 

Come on. That's absurd. Perkins, A- and Dozier, A. Dozier is on his way to a 5 WAR season, for crying out loud.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Dozier deserves an A, the DH at least a C, and only an idiot would give Mauer a D.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Dozier deserves an A, the DH at least a C, and only an idiot would give Mauer a D.

 

I'd give Mauer a D if the expectation is Joe Mauer-level production. He has vastly underperformed this season.

[jokin]

Can't argue with most of it but Perkins at a B+ and Dozier at a B?

 

Come on. That's absurd. Perkins, A- and Dozier, A. Dozier is on his way to a 5 WAR season, for crying out loud.

 

Perkins in my book is a B+ and Dozier is obviously an A. I'm wondering, since Reusse just finished covering live all of the Giants games on a "working vacation" that left him very obviously negative on what was happening with the Twins, if Reusse based some of his grades, like Dozier's, skewed towards the recency effect of the Twins getting dominated in AT&T. He clearly sent out his attack dogs, LEN and Scoggins, who up to this point had been pretty meek when it came to editorializing about the Twins.

[Brandon]

There are a few grades that I have a few minor quibbles with. Regarding Suzuki do we grade off of expectations coming into the season or are we comparing what we have with other teams. If we are going off of expectations he gets an A or A-. Dedunno has been better than a C. I give him a B. SS is the right averaged grade though to be more clear Escobar gets an A and Florimon gets an F. At DH Pinto is a B and Kubel is a D- (if he is going to separate the starting pitchers and grade them he can separate the 2 DH's and grade them individually). Casey Fien has also been an A and Deunsing an A or A-. everything else appears to be spot on.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

No grades for the Coaching Staff?

[Tibs]

How would you grade this outfit by position after 50 games? Scratch that. I don’t really care.

 

That’s my 50-game report. If you disagree with this grading, I don’t care.

 

What in the heck is this guy's problem? Does he usually write like this?

 

I do disagree with a few of Mr. Reusse's grades, but apparently he doesn't care.

[TheLeviathan]

I get the sense that he's working from a strict sense of "C equal adequate". Though I agree Dozier should most certainly be an A. I'm not sure what else he could really do.

 

But Mauer has earned every bit of that D.

[jokin]

What in the heck is this guy's problem? Does he usually write like this?

 

I do disagree with a few of Mr. Reusse's grades, but apparently he doesn't care.

 

He got from you exactly the reaction he desired. This stuff is mild in comparison to much of his pot-stirring in the past. In reality, he wants people to care, he's just not sure if enough fans care, and especially if Twins management and ownership cares as much as he does.

 

When he does get on a campaign though, as he apparently has begun now with the Twins, he harnesses all the beat-writing troops to do some of the dirty work to help gain critical mass to the story, and then really lets his subject have it. I suspect there's an escalation in his writing intensity still to come if the Twins don't turn things in his desired direction.

[Boom Boom]

Dozier is on his way to a 5 WAR season, for crying out loud.

 

You should explain that point to Reusse.

[Tibs]

He got from you exactly the reaction he desired. This stuff is mild in comparison to much of his pot-stirring in the past. In reality, he wants people to care, he's just not sure if enough fans care, and especially if Twins management and ownership cares as much as he does.

 

When he does get on a campaign though, as he apparently has begun now with the Twins, he harnesses all the beat-writing troops to do some of the dirty work to help gain critical mass to the story, and then really lets his subject have it. I suspect there's an escalation in his writing intensity still to come if the Twins don't turn things in his desired direction.

 

I don't read the Star Tribune, so I didn't know if the guy is a jerk or not.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Out of qualified second basemen, only Utley has a higher WAR than Dozier.

 

Yeah, that's a B grade.

[Jdosen]

I wonder what Brian Dozier needs to do for 2B to be an A.

More #ribbies

[Thegrin]

Lazy columnists write negative articles. Reusse was a negative writer even back in his Pioneer Press days. When in doubt he hits below the belt.

[jokin]

Lazy columnists write negative articles. Reusse was a negative writer even back in his Pioneer Press days. When in doubt he hits below the belt.

 

Given his workload, I'm not sure it's fair to characterize him as lazy. And he has a gift with the written word. But he has no problem with cheap shot writing tactics, deserved or not, and designed with full intent to hit all the public hot buttons. As I've mentioned previously, I have little doubt that his current favorite TV character is nihilistic hitman, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornon) on Fargo.

[gunnarthor]

I have no problem with Reusse. Unlike other columnists out there, I've always had the sense that he genuinely loves baseball and wants the Twins to be good. He might be a bit old school - likes RBIs and Wins - but at least he cares.

 

Not a big problem with his grades - Mauer has been horrible this year and I'm actually surprised on how little crap he's gotten for it from the press. His .079 ISO is ridiculously small. That's the 13th worst in MLB this year.

[70charger]

Doesn't seem like anyone's mentioned it in the face of the Dozier underrating, but what would Casey Fien have to do to get an A? Aside from Perkins, there's no one I'd rather have out there in tight situations.

[nicksaviking]

Out of qualified second basemen, only Utley has a higher WAR than Dozier.

 

Yeah, that's a B grade.

 

Well Reusse gave Plouffe props for his RBI total so I'm guessing WAR may not be something he is looking at. More likely he sees the .247 BA and is giving him demerits. Old school stats for Ruesse.

[jharaldson]

I'd give Mauer a D if the expectation is Joe Mauer-level production. He has vastly underperformed this season.

 

I would grade him against his peers (other 1st basemen). He is ranked 22 out of 27 qualified in OPS and WAR. Even if you only look at OBP he is ranked 12 out of 27, middle of the road. He definately deserves a D like Brock and Pat say.

[amjgt]

It's unclear whether he is grading the actual production from the position or if he is grading the handling of that position.

 

Either way, not giving an "A" to 2B, (which I believe 100% of the innings played by the Twins this year has been Brian Dozier), is completely asinine.

[DaveW]

People still read Reusse?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

People still read Reusse?

 

I'll read just about anything if it's linked in a TD post.

 

My apologies to Leo Tolstoy.

[DaveW]

I'll read just about anything if it's linked in a TD post.

 

My apologies to Leo Tolstoy.

 

Lol I hear ya.

 

Reusse to me just seems so pointless to read/follow these days, he is clearly one of those old timers who has been doing this gig for far too long where he comes off as old and grumpy in the majority of his "articles", his demeanor seriously reminds me of what would happen when I would wake up my grandpa from a nap when I was younger.

 

The whole "if you disagree with these I don't care" quip sums it up perfectly, he clearly has no desire to adapt to the changes in media. The Tribune should just offer him a severance package to let him retire (I don't care about his radio show as I prefer KFAN), bring in some younger talent that actually has enthusiasm to write about the sport.

 

Sid at least is kinda funny in a harmless slightly clueless at times old man sort of way, Reusse is just a curmudgeon.

[gunnarthor]

Lol I hear ya.

 

Reusse to me just seems so pointless to read/follow these days, he is clearly one of those old timers who has been doing this gig for far too long where he comes off as old and grumpy in the majority of his "articles", his demeanor seriously reminds me of what would happen when I would wake up my grandpa from a nap when I was younger.

 

The whole "if you disagree with these I don't care" quip sums it up perfectly, he clearly has no desire to adapt to the changes in media. The Tribune should just offer him a severance package to let him retire (I don't care about his radio show as I prefer KFAN), bring in some younger talent that actually has enthusiasm to write about the sport.

 

Sid at least is kinda funny in a harmless slightly clueless at times old man sort of way, Reusse is just a curmudgeon.

I suspect Reusse brings more traffic to startribune.com than you think.

 

As for "if you disagree with these I don't care" quip, I'd say that's a pretty common attitude among columnists. If you like the columnist, we call it "being snarky."

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Reusse will take a position counter to informed opinion just out of spite. I will still read what he says because he is a great writer and has country club access, but "I don't care what you think" sums up his feelings pretty good towards the sports fans when it comes to the Twins, Vikings, etc.

 

Example of his Gopher football take: He attacks Jerry Kill mercilessly and has said that the Brewster years were not that bad (and his taken some digs at Mason for good measure). Go figure that one out.

 

That said, he knows the state prep scene better than anyone and has been telling those stories like a pro, for his whole career. Bravo for that.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I suspect Reusse brings more traffic to startribune.com than you think.

 

Absolutely.