Front Page: Twins Game Recap (8/1): Dyson Implodes In Twins Debut

[Platoon]

A large percentage of the US population lives in a small band along the I-95 corridor - although a goodly portion of that is north of Philly - still in terms of human beings his flight crossed a lot of the nation.

Dyson actually spent only slightly more time flying across all those humans as it took me to drive the bike to breakfast in SW MN last Sunday. While I did not see a small band, but I heard there was a 3 piece combo at the Legion in Walnut Grove Saturday night.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I can imagine the conversation on the mound at the start of the ninth.

 

“Hi I’m Jason. I’m the catcher for the Minnesota Twins, as you can probably tell, with all this gear I have on! Anyway, it’s good to meet you—oh here comes the umpire. Quickly, we use 1 for fastball, 2 for curve, 3 for change up. Pretty standard stuff. Oh, just out of curiosity, do you even throw a change?”

[AlwaysinModeration]

I can imagine the conversation on the mound at the start of the ninth.

 

“Hi I’m Jason. I’m the catcher for the Minnesota Twins, as you can probably tell, with all this gear I have on! Anyway, it’s good to meet you—oh here comes the umpire. Quickly, we use 1 for fastball, 2 for curve, 3 for change up. Pretty standard stuff. Oh, just out of curiosity, do you even throw a change?”

He actually did shake off a bunch of signs.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Astros with a 4-1 lead over Cleveland. What could go wrong?

[Mike Sixel]

https://twitter.com/Brandon_Warne/status/1157028741241069568?s=19

 

Sam Dyson is a grown ass man who I'm sure is very capable of jumping on a plane and pitching the same day... My God. It's just a bad game. It wasn't a managerial failure, they didn't put him in an impossible circumstance.

Agreed.

[Mill1634]

Really, really sucks to lose a game that you use Taylor Rogers in. He is certainly unavailable tomorrow, and they would probably like to sit him out Saturday too. 

 

I don't understand using Dyson in today's game at all. They showed him walking into the dugout in either the 5th or 6th inning. I don't know the usual routine of a reliever, but I can promise you it isn't fly for three hours, do nothing, and then pitch in a game 2 hours later. 

 

You're up three runs. Throw Ryne Harper. Throw Trevor May. The front office showed faith in not upgrading from those guys, so you have to use them. Any reliever should be able to get three outs without giving up three runs, middle reliever or not. Seems like Rocco came down with "shiny new toy on Christmas" case today. 

[ashbury]

Seems like Rocco came down with "shiny new toy on Christmas" case today. 

Rocco gave the new guy a chance to make friends quickly by coming in and being all bad-ass - "just got off a plane, howyadoin, let's go win some games now, whaddayasay". It blew up in their faces. But not a season-killer, I'm pretty sure. Just, didn't work. I'd need a lot of evidence to convince me that the idea had no chance from the outset.

[USAFChief]

The problem with Warne's tweet is, if Rogers was available...and we know he was...its a three run lead, Rogers is the guy you've decided gets the 9th with a 3 run lead.

 

You put Rogers out there to start the 9th.

 

If Rogers cant be used 3 days in a row, what was he doing out there today?

[rkevin]

Team could have come back from the 9th inning misfire and taken the win, but the bats went eerily silent. I didn't see the game but I guess Polanco could have gotten to a ball that could have saved a run?? Sometimes other things go unnoticed that could still take the game but yeah, true to his name, Dyson sucked in this one... lol.

 

On another note, what's up with Po? His BA has taken a noticeable dive since early June, his fielding at times is questionable (lackadaisical?) and I cannot stand those dam throws of his....learn how to throw the ball overhand! Also his plate approach lately, he really messed up the other day with runners at 1st ann 2nd, no outs, and he pushes a lazy fly ball to right? I know Rocco's MO so far is to be all calm and collected but man sometimes you need to get in the face of these guys. Maybe he did, I don't know. But that recent series in Chi-Town, you see what Renteria did it to Moncado after he missed that pop-up...after that toungue lashing Moncado went on a terror at the plate. Sometimes it does the job.

 

[Soft Tosser]

New catcher, new signs, heck, new team. It can be distracting, I've been there.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

He actually did shake off a bunch of signs.

oooo that’s not good.

[ashbury]

New catcher, new signs, heck, new team. It can be distracting, I've been there.

Yah, my first day on the new slo-pitch team went badly too.

[Don Walcott]

I know this seems like a lot of hindsight. And I couldn't watch the game today. But I checked the Game Thread, and there were definitely people questioning the decision to bring in Dyson as it was happening. It would have been cool if it had worked. But it was very uncool that it did not work. And Rocco can handle just criticism, as he's a grown ass manager, isn't he?

[gocgo]

Calm down...Cleveland got smoked by the stro's so we lost no ground...didn't put them any further in the mirror either...but we will.  Cleveland's record against teams >.500 is 16-23 while ours is 29-24.  Of the next 26 games for the Tribe, only 6 are against teams with a losing record.  Of the next 28 games for the Twins, 15 of them are against teams with losing records.  September also works in our favor slightly, but August is where we pull away.

[jz7233]

Rays acquisitions helped them to sweep Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Edited August 2, 2019 by jz7233

[twinsnorth49]

Not to harp on this, but if there was any chance we want Dyson to pitch in the Thursday noon game, why didn't we fly him in on Wednesday night? Trade was finalized at 4 PM, Dyson was already on a road trip in Philadelphia. The Giants game went past 10 PM, surely they could have gotten him into Miami by that time?

 

Otherwise, if it's customary to give a guy the evening off on the day of a trade or something, why fly him down to Miami on Thursday morning, just to fly him back to Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon?

Frequent flyer points?

[twinsnorth49]

Yah, my first day on the new slo-pitch team went badly too.

They gave you directions to the wrong diamond huh?

 

Always a classic.

[twinsnorth49]

Rays acquisitions helped them to sweep Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Rays board must be ecstatic.

 

Why do we care again?

[jz7233]

 

The Rays board must be ecstatic.

Why do we care again?

Some people last night didn't care to save Rogers for today. They prioritized winning over saving the best arm. Sure why do we care?

Edited August 2, 2019 by jz7233

[USAFChief]

Yah, my first day on the new slo-pitch team went badly too.

they told you Wednesday at 8, for a Tuesday at 7 game?

[twinsnorth49]

Some people last night didn't care to save Rogers for today. They prioritized win over saving the best arm. Sure why do we care?

Oh, 2+2=7, I get it now.

 

Thanks for clarifying.

[DocBauer]

On the road, in the NL with, without Cruz. Meh. This team is good enough to win. And they did, winning 2 of 3. Let's not forget that folks. You consistently win 2 of 3, you have a tremdous team/record!

 

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not happy with today, just some perspective.

 

We want to bring last night in to today? OK. Personally, I would have sent Berrios out for the 8th with his performance and low pitch count. Potentially, Poppen has a great 9th, instead of 8th, and Berrios is fine with 90 pitches thrown. We still won. Blast Rocco all you want, but what he did has clearly done in other games, is try to keep his pitchers strong for late season and the post season. Same as he's done for his positional players, postponing and resting and trying to keep everyone healthy, productive and ready to go. I think Berrios could have and should have gone one more inning, but it is what it was.

 

I have loved most of what Baldelli has done all season, but I DO disagree with using Dyson this afternoon. The arguement can be made, has been made, that he is a pro and should be used to travel, etc. BUT...and I don't know...is he married? Does he have kids? In 24 hours you have been traded, even if you are accepting and excited, to repack, get on a flight, call your family, start implementing plans, grab your bags and a ride, report to the stadium/hotel, whatever, meet your manager, pitching coach, teammates and catcher, and then go out and try to throw. No matter how much of a professional you are, that's a lot to deal with in 24hrs!

 

May had a couple rough outings recently. So what? It hapoens! He was fresh and ready. There were other options. Dyson should have been allowed to at least settle in for a day and meet the staff and his team and be ready for the KC series.

 

What would you expect Dyson to say as a professional and a competitor? "No. I'm not ready today."? Sorry Rocco. Love you. But this one is on you. (Bet he knows that).

[Kelly Vance]

 

It makes absolutely no sense to bring a guy in to the game, who only a few hours earlier, arrived in the American league. The guy hadn't met all the players on the team yet. There's no way he could've prepared for any of the Marlin's hitters.  To bring him into a save situation, in a critical game was asinine.  If the Twins had been winning by 13 runs, that would be a different story.  If the Twins had no other bullpen choices, that would be a different situation.  But it was a legitimate save opportunity. Up by just 3, and coming off of a grand slam in the 9th inning the night before, you'd think the Twins would have cared about winning first and foremost.  At least more than whatever it was that was going through their mind that allowed them to insert this brand new arrival directly into the lineup.  His uniform probably didn't fit. He may have still had his street socks on.  

 

It's not like Taylor Rogers was unavailable. He came into the game anyways.  On one hand, Baldelli acts like the game is meaningless, then on the other hand, he's willing to use all players in an effort to win.  Now, rather than having an easy 3 game sweep, a rested bullpen, and a very positive feeling, he's got a loss, a tired bullpen and a bad vibe for everyone, going into the next series against a team that was resting all day today.

 

There's not even enough room in this forum to properly detail all the giant mistakes that Baldelli made in just innings 7-9.  He's not an unfit manager, he just doesn't know what he's doing.  When the Twins are winning big, it won't matter much, but when they're losing, or it's a close game, his inexperience and bad judgment will come to the forefront.  

Yeah, I know.  But Rocco is a rookie manager. He will learn. And all this cost us was 1 game. 

 

Still, you ain't wrong. 

[Kelly Vance]

 

On the road, in the NL with, without Cruz. Meh. This team is good enough to win. And they did, winning 2 of 3. Let's not forget that folks. You consistently win 2 of 3, you have a tremdous team/record!

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not happy with today, just some perspective.

We want to bring last night in to today? OK. Personally, I would have sent Berrios out for the 8th with his performance and low pitch count. Potentially, Poppen has a great 9th, instead of 8th, and Berrios is fine with 90 pitches thrown. We still won. Blast Rocco all you want, but what he did has clearly done in other games, is try to keep his pitchers strong for late season and the post season. Same as he's done for his positional players, postponing and resting and trying to keep everyone healthy, productive and ready to go. I think Berrios could have and should have gone one more inning, but it is what it was.

I have loved most of what Baldelli has done all season, but I DO disagree with using Dyson this afternoon. The arguement can be made, has been made, that he is a pro and should be used to travel, etc. BUT...and I don't know...is he married? Does he have kids? In 24 hours you have been traded, even if you are accepting and excited, to repack, get on a flight, call your family, start implementing plans, grab your bags and a ride, report to the stadium/hotel, whatever, meet your manager, pitching coach, teammates and catcher, and then go out and try to throw. No matter how much of a professional you are, that's a lot to deal with in 24hrs!

May had a couple rough outings recently. So what? It hapoens! He was fresh and ready. There were other options. Dyson should have been allowed to at least settle in for a day and meet the staff and his team and be ready for the KC series.

What would you expect Dyson to say as a professional and a competitor? "No. I'm not ready today."? Sorry Rocco. Love you. But this one is on you. (Bet he knows that).

I usually agree with Doc.  

 

I don't really disagree here.  But he reminded me of something Jim Bouton said in "Ball Four".

 

They went over the Twins hitters and decided to pitch the first 5 batters underground. 

 

No that's not it.

 

Oh Yeah. he said Rod Carew came late to the stadium from his National Guard duty and dressed quickly to get to the field. He got a hit and his fly was still unzipped.

 

It is just 1 game folks. I don't disagree with the call. Rocco is the best rookie manager since TK. Our guy has been blooded in battle, and right away.

 

Just watch him make it up to us. 

 

[David HK]

I'm totally fine with Pineda being pulled. I was hoping they'd pull him earlier- nearly every out was a screamer; they were squaring him up big time, but a lot of at-em balls.

 

But Dyson- come on. Yes, he's a pro, and a seasoned vet at that. Yes, he hadn't been out for 3 days or so, so he wasn't overused.

 

But for God's sake, he just got off the plane and to the park in the MIDDLE of the game! He knows the org. gave up a bucket of good prospects, he knows he has to prove himself,  Of course he's going to feel added pressure to make perfect pitches and make the team feel justified in getting him. Seasoned vet or no, that's got to amp up the pressure on anyone. And here you go, 9th inning, against a team that's knocked him around pretty good the last couple of years.

 

The fact that May is still doing penance for his latest meltdown(s) is ridiculous. What better place to use him than one inning with a 3 run lead? Let the new guy at least get his uniform sized right. He obviously hadn't even thrown 1 pitch to his new catcher until he took the mound. I don't get the rush to toss him in the pond. Instead, we burn Rogers for the 3rd day in a row, and used 3 extra innings of the BP. (well, technically not a full 3...)

 

This is what good teams do. If the hitters go quiet, the pitchers step up, and vice versa. The Twinks have often done just that many times this year. Houston did their job against the Tribe, taking 2 of 3. We should have swept and picked up an important game. Rocco, I love you man, appreciate the job you're doing, but this one is on you.

[twinsfanstreif]

Sam Dyson is a grown ass man who I'm sure is very capable of jumping on a plane and pitching the same day... My God. It's just a bad game. It wasn't a managerial failure, they didn't put him in an impossible circumstance.

 

I have to disagree with this, sure he's a "grown ass man" but he's not a robot. As fans we frequently forget these guys are human, as if their high salary is supposed to make the super human. He had zero time to get adjusted at all or prepare, coming from 3 time zones away, and was supposed to perform in a very high leverage situation. Imagine if you got hired at a new job all the way across the country and you were supposed to perform the second you got off the plane with no preparation or rest, most people would struggle

[howeda7]

Brutal debut for Dyson. The use of Rogers in what was a 7-0 game on Wednesday bit us.

 

This is the 4th time we have reached 25 games over .500. We have yet to reach 26 games over. 

[rebldomakr]

I’m completely heartbroken at the fact that because they couldn’t get a decent move made at the deadline that now our wonderful season will mean nothing.... so disappointing... no way can we compete with even Cleveland the way our pitching is and now they’re bats are just as good as ours if not a step better with Puig and Franmil Reyes, Lindor and ramirez

[Darius]

Big missed opportunity last night with Cleveland losing. Also, could’ve picked up 1/2 on the Yankees. Bummer.

[terrydactyls]

Yah, my first day on the new slo-pitch team went badly too.

 

I'll match "first game" stories with you. A month ago, I made my debut in the Senior League in Portland Maine (and my first game since 2001). In my first at bat, I dribbled the ball towards third. I put my head down and "sprinted" towards first base. After what seemed like 30 seconds, I noticed that I was only about 10 feet from home plate. So I downshifted and headed to first. After another 10 feet, I felt my left knee scream "no mas" and I hopped the rest of the way on one leg. No structural damage to the knee but strained ligaments that ended my season. Oh well, there's always next year.