2011 Twins vs. 2012 Twins

[Badsmerf]

I enjoy watching this team more that last year's team for a few different reason.

 

First, Dozier and Plouffe playing everyday on the left side of the INF has me optimistic that they can actually be regulars for the Twins. Dozier as a potential number 2 hitter and Plouffe as a 5 or 6. On a related note, the INF defense has been much much better.

 

Span and Morneau are playing. Span is playing at a higher level than Morneau right now, but seeing both of them playing again is great. Plus, Span is fun to watch because he does everything so well.

 

Butera is not playing everyday. Thank you JR for picking up Doumit.

 

The entire team isn't underachieving. Mostly because they weren't expected to achieve.

 

Plouffe and Willingham have shown its possible to hit HR's in Target Field. Its nice not to hear DickBert talk about Target Field like its the Grand Canyon.

 

As funny as it sounds, this team is giving me hope for next year.

[PseudoSABR]

The lineup is arguably better with Doumit and Willingham than Cuddyer and Kubel. Added to that the health of Morneau, Mauer, Span and the emergence of Plouffe and *ahem* Revere make this Twins team far more watchable. However, the Twins starting pitching seems like the cast from an eighties B-movie. Seriously, a roundhouse kick from Patrick Swazey has more umpf.

[Nick Nelson]

Yeah, I wrote about this the other day. This team inspires a lot more optimism than last year's even if they're on pace for a similarly bad record. Plouffe, Revere and Diamond are actually looking like they might be quality, inexpensive regulars going forward. Dozier too, to a lesser extent, although he hasn't looked great and I'm a bit more skeptical of him given his pedigree.

 

A major starting pitching turnaround next year would do a lot for this club. That might be somewhat hard to envision in light of the current state of affairs, but if the aforementioned younger guys can fill spots cheaply, they ought to have some money to spend.

[glanzer]

You're definitely right, the 2012 Twins are more entertaining, at least. Obviously the DL has barely been used compared to a year ago; simply having players that the average fan has heard of makes for a more interesting product. As terrible as their record is, I still get the feeling that they could potentially win any given game, something I didn't feel last season.

 

Also, aside from that record-setting cold streak with the bats on the West Coast, it seems like they're playing in more high-scoring games which, win or lose, is infinitely more entertaining to me than low-scoring games.

[UCLA_YANKEE_COLA]

The bats leave me optimistic but that rotation is terrible and besides Diamond and maybe Hendriks (a couple of decent #4's?) I don't see anyone that I'd include in future plans.

[JB_Iowa]

Or you can be even more depressed thinking about the fact that the 2012 team has a worse record (27-41) than the 2011 team (32-39) with less injury excuses.

 

Admittedly the loss of Baker was tough -- along with Pavano's current (pretty much predicted 1 1/2 years ago) woes but overall this team has been pretty healthy.

 

In addition, the offensive performance tends to be lacking when the other team's pitcher is mediocre or better.

 

I'm not saying that everything about what has happened this year is bad. I'm just saying that, even with the positives, this team is pitiful.

[RIP BYTO]

Both teams depress me to no end

[drunksam]

It just "feels" like this team is better in many respects. The cluster of a rotation though brutally stomps on any hope I often drudge up this summer. There are some good things to build on offensively, defensively, pensively, and quite possibly if the rotation is fixed next year (FA, trade, cloning of Cy ________) could be special.

[Badsmerf]

Both teams depress me to no end

Glad to see you here DPJ.

[DaveW]

Both teams are quite awful and depressing, however I do have more hope this year than last year just due to the fact that Morneau and Mauer are both healthy and Willingham seems like he will be at least an equal and probably upgrade over Cuddyer.

 

The rotation situation moving forward to 2013 is a complete and utter nightmare though.

[jctwins]

Glad to see you here DPJ.

Brilliant.

[Squirrel]

Glad to see you here DPJ.

lol ... I thought the same thing

[Brock Beauchamp]

Glad to see you here DPJ.

It's not DPJ. I'm not sure who it is. I don't remember where enough of you BYTOers live to be able to pin it down via IP address (but I definitely know where DPJ lives, I sit outside his house with binoculars twice a week).

[Badsmerf]

It's not DPJ. I'm not sure who it is. I don't remember where enough of you BYTOers live to be able to pin it down via IP address (but I definitely know where DPJ lives, I sit outside his house with binoculars twice a week).

That would be kind of weird if I didn't think he would like it....

[Nick Nelson]

Or you can be even more depressed thinking about the fact that the 2012 team has a worse record (27-41) than the 2011 team (32-39) with less injury excuses.

At this point last year the team was amidst its highest point of the season, so the comp isn't really fair. That team unraveled after July and went an unbelievable 13-41 in the final two months. Barring an avalanche of injuries, I don't see that happening this year. In fact, this club might have its best ball ahead of it yet.

[Brock Beauchamp]

At this point last year the team was amidst its highest point of the season, so the comp isn't really fair. That team unraveled after July and went an unbelievable 13-41 in the final two months. Barring an avalanche of injuries, I don't see that happening this year. In fact, this club might have its best ball ahead of it yet.

 

I think it's likely that the team does better than 27-41 (or a ~.400 winning percentage) the rest of the way. Playing the .400 ball they've played thus far still puts them on pace to beat 2011's abysmal record by a small margin. Any improvement upon that only makes the difference greater.