I'm honestly just not that concerned about the defensive make up of the OF at this point. There are so many things that could happen during the course of the season to change the make up of the outfield, that I just don't care that it will likely start out as a bit defensively challenged.

 

If any one of Willingham, Morneau, Doumit or Parmelee are (a) injured, ( traded, or © take a significant dive in offensive productivity, you'll find two outfield positions filled from among the group of Mastroianni, Hicks, Arcia and Benson and that likely will significantly improve the OF defense.

 

In fact, realistically, the only way I can envision that original OF remaining intact throughout the season is if NONE of those three factors occur AND the resulting offensive productivity is somehow enough to keep the Twins in contention throughout the season. If that combination does happen to occur, frankly I'll be more than happy about it.

A bad IF defense is hard to overcome and will cost you lots of games. A bad OF defense, at the major league level where everyone can catch pop flies, just doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

 

Unless your team sucks at both and tosses out a PTC pitching staff to boot.

Of all the things to complain about, this is hardly it. Willingham is no prize but better than Delmon and Parmalee can be just as good as Cuddyer. Further, any game we have a lead after 7 innings will likely have Mastro or someone else in there.

A bad IF defense is hard to overcome and will cost you lots of games. A bad OF defense, at the major league level where everyone can catch pop flies, just doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

 

But what if you have both (like this year's squad)? I can forsee a lot of "routine" singles gapping to the wall, and "pop flies" falling in for singles with the corner OFs having to play so deep. And without one strikeout pitcher in the rotation, the Twins Way of PItch to Contact will possibly result in no improvement in the Twins near-historical 5.40 ERA pitching putridity of 2012. The Twins had a combined starting pitching WAR of 3.1, there were 40 pitchers who had that WAR or higher, just by themselves. Methinks the Twins are looking at threatening that number to the downside, in some part due to the defensive downgrade the Twins inflicted upon themselves.

Edited January 23, 201313 yr by jokin

Of all the things to complain about, this is hardly it. Willingham is no prize but better than Delmon and Parmalee can be just as good as Cuddyer. Further, any game we have a lead after 7 innings will likely have Mastro or someone else in there.

 

The problem there is Mastro will already be in there in CF, at least for the first month, or two, or three, and Plouffe and Doumit look like the 5th OFer options at this point. Recent past history suggests a Clete Thomas or Brandon Boggs-type heading north from ST as the #4 "someone else" OF. Regardless, there's no way to sugarcoat it, the OF defense will be much worse, not the top complaint, to be sure, but still a big concern for an already-shaky pitching staff.

Willingham - Hicks - Arcia will be in the outfield at some point in 2013. Bench Parmelee so we have a decent PH.

Willingham - Hicks - Arcia will be in the outfield at some point in 2013. Bench Parmelee so we have a decent PH.

 

What if Parmelee posts an .800 OPS? Then what do you do with him?

 

One of the major reasons to trade Revere and Span was to clear space for Parmelee and then Hicks & Co. The Twins need to find out what they have in Chris and you can't do that by refusing to play the guy.

Willingham - Hicks - Arcia will be in the outfield at some point in 2013. Bench Parmelee so we have a decent PH.

Bench a guy that posted a 1.000 OPS in AAA in favor of 2 guys that haven't had a plate appearance there?

But what if you have both (like this year's squad)? .

 

then fix the infield. If your car has a bad transmission and it needs a wash, should you ignore the transmission because you also have a little road dirt on it?

 

On a side note, the Twins have always played their OFers really deep, no matter who they are, since Gardy has been manager. They will continue to do the same no matter who the OFers are, as long as Gardy remains. It's one of my pet peeves.

Parmelee is a big-time hitter, and we certainly DO need to see him get 500 MLB at-bats...maybe he is another guy we could get some big-time pitching prospects for in trade.

On a side note, the Twins have always played their OFers really deep, no matter who they are, since Gardy has been manager.

 

Predates even Gardy. Does the name Puckett ring a bell?

There is a time to play deep in the OF, and a time to play "in",

a time to "play-to-pull", and a time to "play-to-spray"

a time to take away the gaps, and a time to hide the lines.

a time to take away singles, and a time to take away doubles.

There is a time to play deep in the OF, and a time to play "in",

a time to "play-to-pull", and a time to "play-to-spray"

a time to take away the gaps, and a time to hide the lines.

a time to take away singles, and a time to take away doubles.

 

The lost verses of Ecclesiastes!

Horribly. The pitchers don't strike anyone out, have marginal groundball skills, and there's no defense behind them even if they did induce a groundball. As for the outfield, well... They're going to roam that OF like a bunch of drunks at Mardi Gras.

 

Chances are it's going to be a long season.

 

Then I guess it's a good thing I'm moving to Idaho in February.

The lost verses of Ecclesiastes!

 

Interesting how appropriate that reference is. Ecclesiastes basically teaches us the futility of believing we can be in charge of our own lives. Kinda like being a Twins fan.

Horribly. The pitchers don't strike anyone out, have marginal groundball skills, and there's no defense behind them even if they did induce a groundball. As for the outfield, well... They're going to roam that OF like a bunch of drunks at Mardi Gras.

 

Chances are it's going to be a long season.

 

Put it all in a nutshell quite nicely. Funny stuff about the OF.

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by ThePuck