On Thursday afternoon, Dan Barriero interviewed Twins Hall of Famer Frank Viola.

 

The interview was interesting and frustrating and eye-opening.

 

1.) you could say that Viola comes across as very old school in some ways.

2.) Viola expressed his thoughts on the Twins not signing Craig Kimbrel.

3.) They discussed how the game has changed for good and bad.

 

What are your thoughts?  (about the 23 minute mark)

 

Listen here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-the-dan-barreiro-show-26981004/episode/bumper-to-bumper-frank-viola-michael-46277779/

Interesting view on the contract aspects he had.  Also not watching MLB I was surprised by, do not agree with his takes on the injury factors.  I think MLB and the doctors are far advanced from the 80's to diagnose injuries and how they treat injuries.

On Thursday afternoon, Dan Barriero interviewed Twins Hall of Famer Frank Viola.

 

The interview was interesting and frustrating and eye-opening.

 

1.) you could say that Viola comes across as very old school in some ways.

2.) Viola expressed his thoughts on the Twins not signing Craig Kimbrel.

3.) They discussed how the game has changed for good and bad.

 

What are your thoughts?  (about the 23 minute mark)

 

Listen here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-the-dan-barreiro-show-26981004/episode/bumper-to-bumper-frank-viola-michael-46277779/

 

 

Interesting view on the contract aspects he had.  Also not watching MLB I was surprised by, do not agree with his takes on the injury factors.  I think MLB and the doctors are far advanced from the 80's to diagnose injuries and how they treat injuries.

 

My initial surprise on him not watching games anymore was more about his reasoning, baseball is now "out of whack." 

 

But as I think about it more:

 

1.) He''s a pitching coach and has been for years... their games are often when MLB games are being played so it's harder to watch them.

 

2.) I dont' watch MLB games, other than the Twins anymore either, so I can't really judge that one too much.

I was a bit confused by his disdain for MLB as a whole and being out of whack, the Ivy League nerds not playing, ruining the game... but then gushing a bit about the Twins putting together the best roster they’ve maybe ever had.

 

The Twins have become the very “new age, Ivy League” and “soft” team he holds in contempt.

 

I really wanted DB to ask him to rationalize that.

 

I was a bit confused by his disdain for MLB as a whole and being out of whack, the Ivy League nerds not playing, ruining the game... but then gushing a bit about the Twins putting together the best roster they’ve maybe ever had.

The Twins have become the very “new age, Ivy League” and “soft” team he holds in contempt.

I really wanted DB to ask him to rationalize that.

 

What position player do the Twins have that analytics love but an old school baseball scout wouldn't besides maybe Castro?

 

 

It was a segment and he mostly likely had no preparation for the questions asked him.

 

Nuance can't be properly expressed in that format. 

 

Frankie sounds very smart but from a different era. 

 

He is probably both right and wrong at the same time. 

What position player do the Twins have that analytics love but an old school baseball scout wouldn't besides maybe Castro?

kinda confused about how this fits with my statement, but here goes anyways:

 

Jorge Polanco & Mitch Garver are notorious fielding butchers.

 

Byron Buxton and Willians Astudillo began gaining traction as players when they rejected the prescribed slap hitting and started elevating.

 

kinda confused about how this fits with my statement, but here goes anyways:

Jorge Polanco & Mitch Garver are notorious fielding butchers.

Byron Buxton and Willians Astudillo began gaining traction as players when they rejected the prescribed slap hitting and started elevating.

 

kinda confused about how this fits with my statement, but here goes anyways:

Jorge Polanco & Mitch Garver are notorious fielding butchers.

Byron Buxton and Willians Astudillo began gaining traction as players when they rejected the prescribed slap hitting and started elevating.

 

Astudillo is in no way a player any analytic would love.

 

Scouts drooled all over Buxton from his senior year on,

 

I don't even know how to respond regarding Polanco. Apparently we have different definitions of analytics. I look at it as a guy a computer would prefer over someone that watches games.

Not really surprising. All of the crotchety old pitchers are like this.

 

They like the game the way it used to be. That’s when they were relevant. They want a more pitcher focused game....because they’re pitchers. They aren’t going to be an advocate for getting shelled by 4 HRs, 2-3 of which are fly balls without a juiced ball, every night.

 

Also, it’s a bravado thing I think (“do all the tinkering with launch angle you want, its a bunch of crap and waste of time. You still can’t hit me.”)

Edited June 22, 20197 yr by Darius

Frank Viola b*tching about something. I'm shocked. 

What position player do the Twins have that analytics love but an old school baseball scout wouldn't besides maybe Castro?

A guy with a near-40% strikeout rate might rankle some old school feathers, despite usually putting up otherwise acceptable stats.

Edited June 22, 20197 yr by Taildragger8791