June 19, 201511 yr 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: CUBSFowler CFRizzo 1BBryant 3BMontero CCastro SSCoghlin LFDenorfia RFSchwarber DHRussell 2B Hendricks P TWINSDozier 2BRosario RFMauer 1BPlouffe 3BNunez SSSuzuki CVargas DHEscobar LFBuxton CF Hughes P (Brought to you by the LUAWFQ) Click here to view the article
June 19, 201511 yr 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.
June 19, 201511 yr I cannot hate a team that:1. Had a HOF'er named Ryne Sandberg. 2. Had Andy McPhail.3. Is the touchstone for franchise futility.
June 19, 201511 yr I'll be at the Twins Deckstravaganza event tonight so make sure to follow all the happenings on my Twitter and Instagram. Username is NoDakTwinsFan for both.
June 19, 201511 yr Speaking of youth (and i got no idea where my youth meter is, nor how to crank it up) i think our opponent sent some folk to watch our games and tell them how to get us out. They were... Cub scouts. Little more than 6 hours to game time...
June 19, 201511 yr 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 June 19, 201511 yr by James
June 19, 201511 yr 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 June 19, 201511 yr by jokin
June 19, 201511 yr 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.
June 19, 201511 yr Is it too much to ask for a Buxton triple, infield single (on a routine ground out), a stolen base, and two snags of liners to the gap tonight?
June 19, 201511 yr 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.
June 19, 201511 yr Let's see, fly ball pitcher with Escobar in left? Ugh he blows out there Why not Robinson?
June 19, 201511 yr . 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.
June 19, 201511 yr . 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.
June 19, 201511 yr .... inane, inappropriate comments during game threads... Like "You're barking up the wrong elephant." Or "What elephant?" (Having viewed this a forum, it took me a bit putzing about on TD to catch the picture. Good one.) Only one hour or so until game time...
June 19, 201511 yr 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...
June 19, 201511 yr . 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.
June 20, 201511 yr That's sort of grim. 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!
June 20, 201511 yr 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! You mean like a little Lebowski?
June 20, 201511 yr 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!A sellout crowd.
June 20, 201511 yr 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.
June 20, 201511 yr I bet the elephants are hiding amid the trunks. Hey Brian! Ask Bark for an elephant in a speedo, preferably metallic.
June 20, 201511 yr Author 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.
June 20, 201511 yr Author Hey Brian! Ask Bark for an elephant in a speedo, preferably metallic.Is Bark here? If he arrives we will work on something.
June 20, 201511 yr We got 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. If it doesn't have a tail it's not a monkey, it's an ape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--szrOHtR6U (Since you were talking about inane posts)
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