Well, the good news

[gunnarthor]

Gah. Losing streaks, worst first baseman in baseball, Plouffe hurt, Sano and Buxton out, no offense lately .... but

 

Gibson and Hughes both look like they will be legit arms in future rotations and May and Meyer have both put up nice numbers in AAA. Might as well get them up sooner rather than later.

 

Despite injuries to Sano and Buxton, several prospects are doing very well. May and Meyer are dominating AAA hitters. Polanco looks like a stud. Berrios is having a real break out year and could be in AA soon. Vargas is hitting at AA and should be up in Sept if not earlier.

 

Dozier's break over the last four months of 2013 don't look like a fluke. Arcia should be able to hit at this level. Santana is at least fun to watch.

 

Hammer and Morales both look like they might get us something at the trade deadline.

[kdrupp09]

Another piece of good news, Rosario is back from suspension as well.

[DaveW]

The real good news is I just saved 15% on my car insurance in 15 minutes.

 

*sponsored post brought to you by Geico USA

[Dman]

gunnarthor, Thanks for the positive spin! Tough losses in all three games this series but I agree that we are getting closer to having better pitching. Most all the top prospects should be up by next year and several this year so this team should be on its way back up.

[pierre75275]

And here i thought i was going to hear about TR fleecing TB out of David Price or the the Cubs out of Jeff S

[ashbury]

gunnarthor, you forgot to mention that May and Meyer are doing well.

[RedBull34]

And here i thought i was going to hear about TR fleecing TB out of David Price or the the Cubs out of Jeff S

 

Exactly, I thought maybe we had taken the Shark for Polanco, Shibuya, and a look at the '91 WS trophy...

[RedBull34]

Realistically though, at least we appear to have won the Doumit trade (don't care if Gilmartin hasn't done anything, just not having Doumit for Gardy to use is a good thing!)

[aggies4]

First post here! Yes, Gibson is looking like something we could build on and Hughes has shaken off the early problems to be among the most consistent in the league (this year anyway). It's tough to lose games like the last 3 and start to fall back in the division, but we knew what sort of year this would be going in and I still see lots of positive signs moving forward. Arcia is starting to concern me though. He's been looking very overmatched at the plate and lost in the field..

[Paul Pleiss]

Scoring runs is hard, you guys. I know there's been a lot of talk about the bullpen blowing games in Boston this week, but let's make sure to complain about the lack of offensive production too. The pitchers only gave up 5 runs in 3 games, I'll take that each and every series. Scoring 2 runs in 3 games is the bigger issue.

[jokin]

gunnarthor, you forgot to mention that May and Meyer are doing well.

 

It sounded so nice, I think he said it twice:

 

May and Meyer have both put up nice numbers in AAA. Might as well get them up sooner rather than later........

 

......May and Meyer are dominating AAA hitters.

[ashbury]

It sounded so nice, I think he said it twice:

 

That was the joke, yes.

[adorduan]

Gah. Losing streaks, worst first baseman in baseball, Plouffe hurt, Sano and Buxton out, no offense lately .... but

 

Gibson and Hughes both look like they will be legit arms in future rotations and May and Meyer have both put up nice numbers in AAA. Might as well get them up sooner rather than later.

 

Despite injuries to Sano and Buxton, several prospects are doing very well. May and Meyer are dominating AAA hitters. Polanco looks like a stud. Berrios is having a real break out year and could be in AA soon. Vargas is hitting at AA and should be up in Sept if not earlier.

 

Dozier's break over the last four months of 2013 don't look like a fluke. Arcia should be able to hit at this level. Santana is at least fun to watch.

 

Hammer and Morales both look like they might get us something at the trade deadline.

 

Not if he doesn't learn what a strike zone is. And his defense is simply unacceptable in it's present form.

[jokin]

That was the joke, yes.

 

I figured.....Just posted for clarification, I didn't want any new call-up controversy to rear its ugly head, yet again. Enough closed threads on the day already.

[Seth Stohs]

The offense carried the pitching staff in April... Right now, the pitching is (generally) there and the bats are floundering. happens every year with every team. It's unusual (and wonderful) when the pitching and hitting are both clicking!

[aggies4]

The offense carried the pitching staff in April... Right now, the pitching is (generally) there and the bats are floundering. happens every year with every team. It's unusual (and wonderful) when the pitching and hitting are both clicking!

 

Yep, because the staff has been so poor for so long now, we're not used to seeing the offense waste successive great pitching performances like these last three games. Every team goes through it. The better ones just learn to bust out of it quickly.

[jokin]

The offense carried the pitching staff in April... Right now, the pitching is (generally) there and the bats are floundering. happens every year with every team. It's unusual (and wonderful) when the pitching and hitting are both clicking!

 

Yep, because the staff has been so poor for so long now, we're not used to seeing the offense waste successive great pitching performances like these last three games. Every team goes through it. The better ones just learn to bust out of it quickly.

 

 

For all of the angst about the Starting pitching staff to start out the season, they really have been performing about as well, or better, than we expected (OK, at least what I expected) since May 1. After a disastrous April with an ERA/FIP of 6.08/4.70, since then the ERA/FIP for the SPs has been very good, with room to get even better- with an upgrade from both Nolasco and the eventual replacement for Deduno- ~3.96/3.77.

[jokin]

Scoring runs is hard, you guys. I know there's been a lot of talk about the bullpen blowing games in Boston this week, but let's make sure to complain about the lack of offensive production too. The pitchers only gave up 5 runs in 3 games, I'll take that each and every series. Scoring 2 runs in 3 games is the bigger issue.

 

Identifying this obviously urgent need, I sure wish the Twins would have addressed the injury situation and the temporary loss of 2 legit bats with an additional farm bat instead of promoting a glove in Florimon.

[Thrylos]

The offense carried the pitching staff in April... Right now, the pitching is (generally) there and the bats are floundering. happens every year with every team.

 

I'd take the every year for the Twins (99+96+96 is not an easy feat.) But it does not happen with every team. Some teams might have an off year here and there. Very rare to be awful 4 years in a row, even rarer to keep the front office and management intact in these situations and pretty much unique to the Twins, for fans to be ok with the situation.

 

On pace for 88 losses this season, btw. Nothing that does not stink or is remotely excusable (in a valid way) about that.

[Bark's Lounge]

That was the joke, yes.

 

"Brad Eldred" Revisited.

[ashbury]

"Brad Eldred" Revisited.

 

Thanks for reopening an old wound.

[Bark's Lounge]

Thanks for reopening an old wound.

 

Think of it as a warm embrace. I was there on the battlefield with you, I still have PTSD from that experience.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Let's not derail this thread into an indictment on management please.

[DocBauer]

The real good news is I just saved 15% on my car insurance in 15 minutes.

 

*sponsored post brought to you by Geico USA

 

I just saved more than that in half the time.

[DocBauer]

On a more serious note, not saying I'm happy to lose back to back games to Boston by 2-1 scores, but I'm not as sore as I should be. The reason is simple, we played good ball and got some tremendous outings from Hughes and Gibson. I can't even be mad at Fien. Hey, sometimes the other teams score. It happens. It stinks, but it happens. Fien has been excellent for us. Even Perk blows one here and there.

 

The last few years, we just haven't been competitive like we are now folks. There's a real light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not an oncoming train!

 

The offense has been scuffling a bit, and inconsistent. The pitching staff, as a whole, has done the job. Boy do I think we're close to ripping off a run or two. One more SP, one or two youngsters getting their shot in the pen and performing well, and just a little more consistency in the offense and I see a .500 team here.

 

I agree whole-heartedly with the theme of this thread. Sano and Buxton's injuries just completely stink! But just look at the Rochester pitching staff, and some others lower at AA and A. Vargas, Walker and Polanco for some of the young position players, Rosario back and hitting like he was born to it, the lift/gift Santana has brought us. There is a lot to be excited about.

 

Personally, I want to re-sign Morales for next season, giving Vargas and others more time. Not opposed to Willingham for another year if he keeps it up, or another FA for 1-2 (7-10M prob) as a LF stopgap.

[Mike Sixel]

They were further from top ten in runs scored than in runs allowed last year. This is the team many of us expected to see.

[Mike Sixel]

To docbauer, I want the young guys up, not mediocre old guys. Time to move on.

[zenser]

The pitchers only gave up 5 runs in 3 games, I'll take that each and every series. Scoring 2 runs in 3 games is the bigger issue.

 

If you would have told me before the Boston series that Boston would only score 5 runs, I would have bet that we would have swept them, not us getting swept.

[DocBauer]

To docbauer, I want the young guys up, not mediocre old guys. Time to move on.

 

Mike, I want the young guys as well. And I can hardly wait for them to arrive.

 

I also want to look in to my crystal ball and see that Vargas will be ready to be our primary DH from day one next season, and be a top vote getter for rookie of the year. I want to see that Rosario can start for us in CF, hit well, get on base some, show power and speed and be our stop gap there for a while, also finish amongst the ROTY top spots. I want to see right before my eyes that Santana will be ready to pretty much do what he's done this season but settling in at SS. Pinto will catch at least 70% of Twins games next season and have people talking about how he would be a top ROTY candidate but he's just got too many ML AB's. I want to know, see it laid out for me, that Sano and Buxton will be feady the second half of 2015, September at the latest, and never look back. I want to know that Walker and Polanco are just behind, also ready by September. I want the crystal ball to show me May and Meyer are fixtures in the rotation next season, both possible ROTY candidates, unless either has too many IP this season. I also want to see some of our young relievers step up to take a spot or two to further deepen and strengthen the bullpen.

 

But I also want to see the Twins compete and win, make smart moves, and promote the kids when they are most ready. Promote them to a solid team and a quality, competitive environment. That's why I'm in favor or Morales being re-signed for next season. Suzuki also, hopefully as a backup/share time C. And we'll probably need to bring in a decent LF for a year or two. Another halfway decent CF/4th OF candidate would be prudent as well. And with Willingham assumably gone, and Correia gone, plus being under the magic spending numbers to begin with, the Twins can afford to make said moves while not blocking kids when they're ready.

 

And none of has that crystal ball. And I don't want to do what Houston has done, what the Twins did in the early 80's, and just blow up the roster and promote a bunch of kids from AA, and go down those 90 plus loss seasons again. I think we've all had enough of those lately.

 

My thoughts.

[jorgenswest]

Sign me up for going young like they did in 82-83 and 99-00.

 

With each loss, I know I will see hope in the upside of the young players.