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  • Josh Donaldson on Lucas Giolito: "Hands Not Sticky Anymore!"

    Tom Froemming

    By Tom Froemming

    Josh Donaldson hit a home run off Lucas Giolito and said to his teammates as he crossed home plate "hands not sticky anymore!" That did not sit well with Giolito.

    Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

    Twins Video

    Here's a quick video rundown of the situation:

     

    Donaldson had threatened to release video evidence that pitchers had been using illegal grip substances prior to MLB's crackdown on sticky stuff. He's been one of the only hitters speaking up against pitchers using questionable tactics to improve their spin rates.

    Giolito is among the pitchers who've seen their spin rates plummet since MLB started checking pitchers' caps and gloves after each inning. He only gave up one more run in this outing, putting together a quality start, and was quick to point out the White Sox won and the Twins are in last place. Ouch.

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    AdoreAdorno

    AdoreAdorno 37

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    3 minutes ago, Linus said:

    It appears that this was a far bigger problem than anybody realized. It’s interesting to have the technology that can monitor it. 
     

    JD is something. Kind of a loose cannon. 

    I'd like to see a baseball themed buddy comedy staring JD and Sergio Romo called Loose Cannons. 

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    Vanimal46

    Vanimal46 28,724

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    6 minutes ago, Linus said:

    It appears that this was a far bigger problem than anybody realized. It’s interesting to have the technology that can monitor it. 
     

    JD is something. Kind of a loose cannon. 

    He’s always been an angry baseball player. 
     

     

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    FritzDahmus

    FritzDahmus 107

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    2 hours ago, Linus said:

    It appears that this was a far bigger problem than anybody realized. It’s interesting to have the technology that can monitor it. 
     

    JD is something. Kind of a loose cannon. 

    He is....but I like him. Teammates like that are always great teammates. I like A.J. Pierzynski as well.

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    FritzDahmus

    FritzDahmus 107

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    2 hours ago, Squirrel said:

    heh ... Giolito ... 'It was a classless move' ... you know what's classless, Gio? Cheating.

    Agreed. I'd like Giolito to explain to the World, how he came from nowhere....to be an annual All-Star candidate. 

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    FritzDahmus

    FritzDahmus 107

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Over at the former KSTP 1500 sports channel..........Jug Head says JD should shut up, because the Twins are in last place. Idiot.

    Reason number 148 for leaving that radio station and web site in the dust......and landing here [and another spot].

     

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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    1 minute ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

    Talk is cheap when you're in last place.

    I bet Giolito is going to feel pretty silly when he realizes that, because the Royals loss last night finished just before the Twins loss, we're actually only in SECOND-to-last place -- a half-game ahead of last!

    * insert laughing/crying emoji slowing transforming into just a crying one *

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    KirbyDome89

    KirbyDome89 4,113

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

    He’s always been an angry baseball player. 

    I'd use the term douche but angry is certainly accurate. 

    I'm putting spider tack in the same file as videoing opposing signals and relaying them. I'd imagine essentially every team has players that have used, or still are using tack. Every fan base should be careful about preaching from their soap boxes right now. 

    I'm also curious whether Donaldson's "list," includes any Twins pitchers or any other teammates during his tenures with different clubs. 

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    Dodecahedron

    Dodecahedron 747

  • Twins Daily Jail

    • Posted

    Donaldson's gesture was minor and it was not directed toward anyone on the field.  If media had not picked up on it, it's possible the other team would not have even noticed.

    Honestly I am mildly offended that people on either side of this debate are making this moment into a big deal.  What an utter waste of brain cycles.

    As for Gio's response, sure the Twins are in last place.  The Twins also have the moral high ground.  The Twins may not be in last place had other teams not been cheating.  Gio's point is a backfire.

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    mac098

    mac098 180

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    12 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

    image.png

    Hey I'm not saying JD has a legitimate gripe here, but we will have to see what happens the rest of the way with Giolito's spin rate. 

    Also, on a side note, Gerritt Cole has looked pretty down Earth since they started the checking of equipment. As shown below when he went to Houston, his numbers significantly changed. Now, maybe HOU had a better pitching coach that worked with his mechanics a little bit more or the game finally clicked for him and he started to see success. But at the same time, it is interesting to see the sharp drop-off in BAA and SO%. Will be interesting to see what he looks like for the rest of the season.image.png.c5644438984debd43fc1b39bf6b6a9ff.png

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    MMMordabito

    MMMordabito 3,585

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    10 minutes ago, mac098 said:

    Hey I'm not saying JD has a legitimate gripe here, but we will have to see what happens the rest of the way with Giolito's spin rate. 

    Also, on a side note, Gerritt Cole has looked pretty down Earth since they started the checking of equipment. As shown below when he went to Houston, his numbers significantly changed. Now, maybe HOU had a better pitching coach that worked with his mechanics a little bit more or the game finally clicked for him and he started to see success. But at the same time, it is interesting to see the sharp drop-off in BAA and SO%. Will be interesting to see what he looks like for the rest of the season.image.png.c5644438984debd43fc1b39bf6b6a9ff.png

    Cole in June:

    4.64 ERA

    25.3% K-Rate

    7.14% HR-Rate

    7.14% BB-Rate

    Suck on that thru 2028 at 36 mill per, F#$%!'n Yankees!!

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    Vanimal46

    Vanimal46 28,724

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    33 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

    I'd use the term douche but angry is certainly accurate. 

    I'm putting spider tack in the same file as videoing opposing signals and relaying them. I'd imagine essentially every team has players that have used, or still are using tack. Every fan base should be careful about preaching from their soap boxes right now. 

    I'm also curious whether Donaldson's "list," includes any Twins pitchers or any other teammates during his tenures with different clubs. 

    Maeda’s start yesterday registered the lowest spin rate of his career. So yeah, we probably shouldn’t be on pedestals thinking our team is clean. 

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    mac098

    mac098 180

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    13 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

    Maeda’s start yesterday registered the lowest spin rate of his career. So yeah, we probably shouldn’t be on pedestals thinking our team is clean. 

    At the same time, yesterday was one of his worst starts of his career. I'm not denying that he didn't use stuff in the past, but yesterday was downright awful. Even he would/was embarrassed by the way he was pitching. 

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    Brock Beauchamp

    Brock Beauchamp 39,328

  • Administrator

    • Posted

    7 minutes ago, mac098 said:

    At the same time, yesterday was one of his worst starts of his career. I'm not denying that he didn't use stuff in the past, but yesterday was downright awful. Even he would/was embarrassed by the way he was pitching. 

    He also had no control, which makes me suspect he couldn't grip said ball for *whatever* reason... who knows? What could make someone suddenly lose the ability to grip a baseball? :D

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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    18 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

    I had an issue with Giolito saying "talk $h*t" to my face" in his comments...

    He just clubbed a HR off you dude. No need for him to do anything else to your face.

    If there was no need for him to do anything else, why did Donaldson do it? This is an odd defense of a guy who didn't just let his HR do the talking, and instead treated Giolito like that umpire he was upset with last year.

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    Steve Lein

    Steve Lein 3,180

  • Twins Daily Contributor

    • Posted (edited)

    14 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

    If there was no need for him to do anything else, why did Donaldson do it? This is an odd defense of a guy who didn't just let his HR do the talking, and instead treated Giolito like that umpire he was upset with last year.

    *To his face*

    I'm in the camp that loves Donaldson's "fire" or "douchebaggery," whatever you want to call it. Giolito certainly had the "We won/they're in last place" parts of his comments correct, but not this part, IMO.

    I don't even think Donaldson was directing his comment at Giolito. It was toward his teammates referencing what he's been alluding to about foreign substances and pitchers basically the whole season. Will be interesting to hear what he says about it.

    Edited by Steve Lein
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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    1 hour ago, Dodecahedron said:

    Donaldson's gesture was minor and it was not directed toward anyone on the field.  If media had not picked up on it, it's possible the other team would not have even noticed.

    Donaldson was plenty loud, and the catcher was right there. I doubt Giolito heard about it from the media first.

    1 hour ago, Dodecahedron said:

    As for Gio's response, sure the Twins are in last place.  The Twins also have the moral high ground.  The Twins may not be in last place had other teams not been cheating.  Gio's point is a backfire.

    Other than being terrible this year, is there any evidence that Twins pitchers were clean in this matter? That makes Donaldson's celebration a little more odd. In that sense, you could consider that Giolito and the White Sox may have taken the high road by not naming/taunting Twins pitchers about it.

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    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,320

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    2 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

    *To his face*

    I'm in the camp that loves Donaldson's "fire" or "douchebaggery," whatever you want to call it. Giolito certainly had the "We won/they're in last place" parts of his comments correct, but not this part, IMO.

    I don't even think Donaldson was directing his comment at Giolito. It was toward his teammates referencing what he's been alluding to about foreign substances and pitchers basically the whole season. Will be interesting to hear what he says about it.

    I don't think Donaldson meant to direct anything specific at Giolito either -- which is exactly why Giolito thinks it was classless, to loudly imply in that moment, for everyone to hear, that Giolito gave up that HR because he isn't cheating anymore.

    If Donaldson wants to say it to fire up his fellow hitters, that's fine -- and he can do that in the dugout, he can do it in the clubhouse, etc. and I doubt Giolito or anyone would care. No need to do it publicly on the field in front of Giolito, though (especially when Donaldson must know his own pitchers are likely in the same predicament as everyone else).

    FWIW, Donaldson's ejection at home plate last year was against the White Sox in Chicago too.

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    bdodge22

    bdodge22 43

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    19 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

    He also had no control, which makes me suspect he couldn't grip said ball for *whatever* reason... who knows? What could make someone suddenly lose the ability to grip a baseball? :D

    Maeda has had no control ALL SEASON. He looks completely lost. This has definitely not come up the last couple weeks since the crack down on grip enhancers.

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