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Article: Game Thread: Cubs@Twins 6/19 7:10PM


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The Twins host the Cubs today and it's a battle of Buxton vs. Bryant.

 

Crank up the youth meter because youth will be on full display.

 

Here are some things to think about:1. Youth -- I have a suspicion that this series will be interesting to TD'ers. Perhaps more so than other match-ups. What is fueling this suspicion? It's a sense after reading posts from Twins Daily that seem to imply a majority yearning for young players from the farm. Well... everyone... meet the Cubs! They got youth... 'Just-called-up' players all over the diamond. Kris Bryant (of whom I'm a proud Fantasy Baseball owner) at 3B... Addison Russell at 2B... Jorge Soler (on the DL right now) and this new catcher, Kyle Schwarber, who is hitting .600 and will be sent down after the weekend, regardless. The Twins have Buxton and Rosario up and Vargas back up so youth will be well represented. All these young people probably don't know about all the pitfalls in everyday life that we veterans know, but they have baseball skills and it will be on display.

 

2. Chicago (White Sox/Cubs) -- Just a quick thought about Chicago... because I hate the White Sox so much... it makes me kind of like the Cubs... umm... just a little bit. If the White Sox were not present in the city... I probably would completely ignore the Cubs. However... because the White Sox are there, for that reason... I just can't totally hate the Cubs. It would just pile up too much hate onto a city that already has crappy traffic. Chicago isn't so bad... ChiTown lives there and that gives it a little coolness. However... if I were commissioner... I would force one of the teams (the White Sox) to move to Mexico City. I'd force the Mets to move to New Jersey; and I'd probably send the Angels packing to Las Vegas, too. This divided loyalty in a city has to stop.

 

3. Byron Buxton -- He's up and he's exciting even when he sucks. Here's the complicated bottom line from me. He's not ready... and at the same time... he's ready to help this team win. If you watch him at the plate... he's getting fooled and swinging at crap in favorable counts. He's got work to do at the plate and therefore, is not ready... but if you watch him on the bases and in CF... he's ready and he can help the team win. I'd just bat him last until he's able to swing at less crap. His speed can help this team when he gets on base and it will certainly help us defensively. He's our best defensive OF right now.

 

4. Kennys Vargas -- Hey... Joe Mauer hit a home run yesterday and that is news... it would have been big news but it got dwarfed by the walk off home run hit by Kennys. It's nice to see Joe go deep... I think he has more power than what he has shown... but let's be honest... what the Twins really need on offense is that big bopper with 30-plus home run potential. That guy who can sit in the 4 spot and clean up. Of everyone on the current roster, the closest guy to that guy is... yep... Kennys Vargas. If Vargas could go on a power streak, that would add W's to the W column.

 

5. The Zoo -- My family and I went to the Zoo last week and as we were walking along the Zoo route, we were walking behind another family with a young boy. We got to the Chimpanzee exhibit and the young boy couldn't find any. His Mom had to point out that the monkeys were kind of hiding in the tree. Then we walked up to the Elephant exhibit and the Elephant was nowhere to be seen. The Boy then asked if the Elephant was in the tree. His mom said, "No... you won't find any Elephant's hiding in the trees;" and the boy said, "They must be good at it".

 

--------------------

Game-time forecast: 78 deg F, partly cloudy, 0% chance of precipitation, winds 12mph from the south, sunset at 9:02pm

 

Lineups:

 

CUBS

Fowler CF

Rizzo 1B

Bryant 3B

Montero C

Castro SS

Coghlin LF

Denorfia RF

Schwarber DH

Russell 2B

 

Hendricks P

 

TWINS

Dozier 2B

Rosario RF

Mauer 1B

Plouffe 3B

Nunez SS

Suzuki C

Vargas DH

Escobar LF

Buxton CF

 

Hughes P

 

(Brought to you by the LUAWFQ)

 

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3. Byron Buxton -- He's up and he's exciting even when he sucks. Here's the complicated bottom line from me. He's not ready... and at the same time... He's ready to help this team win. If you watch him at the plate... He's getting fooled and swinging at crap in favorable counts. He's got work to do at the plate and therefore not ready... but if you watch him on the bases and in CF... He's ready and he can help the team win. I'd just bat him last until he's able to swing at less crap. His speed can help this team when he gets on base and it will certainly help us defensively. He's our best defensive OF Right now.

 

He's not ready. That is what the minor leagues are for, to develop major league players. He needs more time in the minors. Perhaps at the AAA level where he will be exposed to more high level pitchers. Until he is ready, you use players like Robinson, Hicks, Hunter and whatever AAA replacement player is available. You do not want to delay or sabotage his development by puting him in a position where he his in over his head.

 

What this team needs right now is offensive production. He is not providing it right now.

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Well, I will be attending the game tonight.  Hopefully, Buxton will launch his first major league home run and I will catch it in the home run porch.  

 

Then I will give it back to the young man.  He'll probably want that ball.

Edited by James
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Old-Timey Member

 

He's not ready. That is what the minor leagues are for, to develop major league players. He needs more time in the minors. Perhaps at the AAA level where he will be exposed to more high level pitchers. Until he is ready, you use players like Robinson, Hicks, Hunter and whatever AAA replacement player is available. You do not want to delay or sabotage his development by puting him in a position where he his in over his head.

 

What this team needs right now is offensive production. He is not providing it right now.

 

The team needs offensive production, agreed.  But they also need a lock-down CF.  He's already major league elite on defense and on the basepaths. I highly doubt that there's any threat to Buxton's career being sabotaged by this call-up.  He's largely been facing some very tough pitchers in his first 5 games.  Let's give it some more time, this kid has the will to succeed,  I'm guessing that he will make adjustments and start laying  off more of the breaking balls out of the zone.

Edited by jokin
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Now Brian, are you sure this is the first game of the series? After all, it's still inter-league play and the site hasn't changed. JK

 

Nice intro, as always. I want the Cubs to do well, but I don't want them to win, does that make sense?

 

I want Buxton to do well, and I do want him to win. I haven't looked at the pitching matchups, but it is tough to get going against St. Louis' staff, the Cubs have to be a bit easier.

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I'll trust the Twins that Buxton can develop at this level over time, but I sure wish he had to hit .275 in triple A for 2+ weeks before getting the call.  I know Triple A is where 26+ year olds who don't have major league talent hang around but you also get to face guys of Tommy Milone's talent often.  Whats holding Sano back from triple A it just doesn't make sense to me.

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. The Zoo -- My family and I went to the Zoo Last week and as we were walking along the Zoo route, we were walking behind another family with a young boy. We got the Chimpanzee exhibit and the young boy couldn't find any. His Mom had to point out that the monkeys were kinda hiding in the tree. Then we walked up to the Elephant exhibit and the Elephant was nowhere to be seen. The Boy then asked if the Elephant was in the tree. His mom said, "No... you won't find any Elephant's hiding in the trees;" and the boy said, "They must be good at it". >>>>>>>>>>>>He sounds like a lad with a very bright future. Someday that little boy will grow up, physically at least. And that little boy will be on TD. And he will help continue a long history of inane, inappropriate comments during game threads! And when a TD'er inevitably asks "why the long face" , The Chief will answer, "He reminds me so of RiverBrian, oh how I miss him.

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. The Zoo -- My family and I went to the Zoo Last week and as we were walking along the Zoo route, we were walking behind another family with a young boy. We got the Chimpanzee exhibit and the young boy couldn't find any. His Mom had to point out that the monkeys were kinda hiding in the tree. Then we walked up to the Elephant exhibit and the Elephant was nowhere to be seen. The Boy then asked if the Elephant was in the tree. His mom said, "No... you won't find any Elephant's hiding in the trees;" and the boy said, "They must be good at it". >>>>>>>>>>>>He sounds like a lad with a very bright future. Someday that little boy will grow up, physically at least. And that little boy will be on TD. And he will help continue a long history of inane, inappropriate comments during game threads! And when a TD'er inevitably asks "why the long face" , The Chief will answer, "He reminds me so of RiverBrian, oh how I miss him.

That's sort of grim. :)

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Oh yeah, there is now a line up to comment upon...

 

Vargas promoted to the 7th spot. Small victories...

 

And Hunter is now lying in the weeds as possible Pinch Hitter. If so, who does he likely pinch hit for?

 

Been rooting for Schafer, but sounds like it was a right thing to let him go, and find someplace new. I hope he lands on his feet, hits the ground running, and all those good sentiments...

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Provisional Member

 

. The Zoo -- My family and I went to the Zoo Last week and as we were walking along the Zoo route, we were walking behind another family with a young boy. We got the Chimpanzee exhibit and the young boy couldn't find any. His Mom had to point out that the monkeys were kinda hiding in the tree. Then we walked up to the Elephant exhibit and the Elephant was nowhere to be seen. The Boy then asked if the Elephant was in the tree. His mom said, "No... you won't find any Elephant's hiding in the trees;" and the boy said, "They must be good at it". >>>>>>>>>>>>He sounds like a lad with a very bright future. Someday that little boy will grow up, physically at least. And that little boy will be on TD. And he will help continue a long history of inane, inappropriate comments during game threads! And when a TD'er inevitably asks "why the long face" , The Chief will answer, "He reminds me so of RiverBrian, oh how I miss him.

 

  That's what she said.

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I know exactly what Byron Buxton needs to do at the plate. Before each at-bat, flip a penny. Heads: Sit on the fastball. Tails: Sit on that pitcher's best secondary pitch. The best that an opposing pitcher can do at that point is to get lucky with what he thinks Buxton is sitting on.

 

The very first pitcher Buxton faced refused to give him a fastball. Buxton, hoping against hope for just one heater, flailed. At this point, pitchers are setting up his expectations from one at-bat to the next. One way to confound their schemes is to randomize what Buxton is looking for. Then, at least for a couple pitches, it's even. After awhile, the coin flip could just count for the first pitch, and by that time, it won't matter anymore.

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It is in a way. But I think it should be comforting to all on TD, that his legacy will live on in perpetuity. That will be a great consolation to us all!

LOL...

 

Don't you know... I'm still standing... Better than I ever did.

 

Looking like a true survivor... Feeling like a little kid.

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