Leaderboard

I hope we win.

Just recently, I read John Bonnes’ great article on how this site is an amazing community, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve realized that the game of baseball is a nice way to get away from the problems you face at work, school, and home. Last year, I got more heavily involved with the Game Threads of this site, and was even due to do one for a playoff game! Alas, that didn’t happen. In the past few months, the gravity of the coronavirus situation has intensified, leading to, at the very least, the postponement of baseball, along with many other events. I wanted to start a “game thread” to just see how everybody’s doing. As one of the younger members of this site, I am currently on forced extended spring break from college. Faculty is preparing to switch to online classes, but who knows what will happen given the volatility of this virus. Doing homework and watching lectures for engineering classes without direct contact to teachers would definitely be interesting! On the positive side, I get to see my family everyday, and get to work alongside my father and grandfather, which is amazing. With the sudden increase in free time, I think I’m going to start exercising more often, specifically running! I’m still going to be watching baseball, but will be watching some of the classic Twins games, including: Game 163 against the Tigers Jason Kubel cycle game vs. the Angels Miguel Sano grand slam against the Indians The entirety of the 1991 World Series. In conclusion, I just want to hear how everybody’s doing! We may be in some relative isolation for a bit, so anything goes below! Faux games, life updates, stories, anything. Everybody, stay safe, and keep your stick on the ice!

This thread:

This site and community is one of the best and I couldn't ask for a better outlet on Twins baseball. I look forward to the new articles and I look forward to the 2020 Twinsdaily events!!

I was scheduled to board a plane bound for Ft Myers next Tuesday, but that ain't happening. The library where I do afternoon tutoring probably won't be a very active place starting about now. Some trail repair events I was coordinating probably won't be taking place. All in all, the coming weeks shape up as a chance to call my own bluff and tackle some of those tasks that have been piling up on my to-do list. It's a game thread? Here: I saw a guy spill his box of Scrabble tiles while he was trying to cross the road. So I asked him, yo dude, what's the word on the street?

I believe Buxton is a big part of the season. I don’t believe the ball will be flying out of the park like last year so getting on base and manufacturing runs is going to be needed. If Buxton can hit like last year, get on base and play good defense makes this team much better and deeper and I believe is the needed piece for the season. I liked the way Celestino looked this spring. Won’t be ready to start the season but if he can show it at AA he would be an option later in summer. as far as Lewis goes he looked good enough at SS and want to keep him there as long as possible. Good SS don’t come along

Taking measures to prevent contagion now means we get to the end of the epidemic sooner, which means we get a faster, stronger recovery for business and our pastimes. Follow CDC and local health agency guidelines, everybody, and be well. See you at the ball yard soon! Cheers!

The Marlins have the highest average velocity fastball, the Twins one of the lowest. They have nearly the same swinging strike percentage. They do have a very different team ERA Must be a little more something something than velocity to pitching.

Long time reader, 1st time commenter. Just want to offer a big thank you to Twins Daily leadership for this site. Truly represents what internet community can be in the best sense. I for one appreciate your continuing coverage even through this. All of us will benefit from having an outlet beyond the sense of constant crisis we inhabit now, so thank you guys for great work and dedication to this community of readers and to the fine arts of baseball analysis. It's great fun to be a part of this thanks to you!

I work in a giant corporate office and we’re all waiting for “we’re closing the office, you need to work from home for the next month”... but going into the office every day. I suggest watching the 87 series, it was awesome! I really like running, it allows me to keep my social distance from everyone and no one tells me I’m antisocial. I am currently training for the 10 mile Hot Dash, but I’m thinking of not going...

UPDATE: Things seem to be in working order, for the most part. If you are in the forums and want to jump to the Front Page, click on the logo to the far left instead of the 'Front Page' link just next to that. PM's are up and running and you can post using the mobile version. But still let us know here if you experience anything else amiss. Thanks!

Since we have some extra time on our hands, I thought we might start a string of your favorite baseball books. I'll kick it off with a few on my bookcase shelf Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella - This was the book that produced Field of Dreams. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by WP Kinsella - If you thought Field of Dreams was weird, you're right. But this is even weirder. Somehow I remember it better. Cool of the Evening by Jim Thielman - Documents the 1965 Minnesota Twins season. Excellent inside view of that team.Baseball in Minnesota by Stew Thornley - The Twins Official Scorer is also a local historian, and this covers the entire history of baseball in Minnesota, going back to the 1800s.The Dickson Baseball Dictionary by Paul Dickson - This is almost an encyclopedia-type reference, but sit down for an hour and just flip through baseball pages. It's the etymology of baseball phrases, like where "can of corn" or "out of left field" came from. Let's hear what's on your baseball shelves, or some recent winners you're read.

NOTICE: TwinsDaily is experiencing a few technical difficulties. If you are having difficulties posting, starting threads, PMing other users, please be patient. Also, access to the front page also seems to be down. Brock is aware of the issues. In the meantime, keep posting in the forums ... you can do so on a regular computer, or try switching to full version mode on your phone. If you notice any other issues, please leave a comment here. Otherwise, please be patient; I'm sure things will all be back to normal soon. Thanks.

I dunno, La Tortuga really looks like a Tortuga... But Dobnak absolutely deserves to be higher ranked. For reference: https://www.fox9.com/video/655771 I believe JP wouldn’t spring for a pro photographer so DSP took everyone’s picture with his iPhone 7.

"Pitch to Contact" got a bad rap because of the pitchers involved, in my opinion, not because of the philosophy. The philosophy was about getting ahead and throwing strikes, not about throwing it right down the middle of handing curveballs right over the middle of the plate. I also look at the Twins starting rotation: Berrios: Sits 93-95, touches 96... Maeda is low-90s. Hill may not be any more than 90. Pineda is low 90s. Odorizzi is low 90s but touches 94, sometimes 95. Dobnak is low 90s. Smeltzer may touch 90. Thorpe is low 90s. My point is that I think that the Twins do throw a little harder, though that really just comes from Berrios and a little bit from Odorizzi. It's just that these guys are better pitchers now than some of the guys that Anderson worked with after Radke (who was 89-90) and Johan (who was mostly low-90s, but touched 94, maybe 95) and such. I think it's as much just about having good pitchers with good pitchers. Now the bullpen, it is about guys with velocity much more now than ever... But it's also about throwing strikes like Stashak.

Just like we drew it up.

How are you supposed to practice "common courtesy" when you are contagious for 5 days before you even feel any symptoms?

In the span of 35 minutes, the world was informed that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson had contracted coronavirus in Australia, and the NBA season was indefinitely postponed after Rudy Gobert became basketball’s patient zero. Today, the NCAA cancelled both the Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments, universities across the country moved their classes online or cancelled altogether, and all travel to Europe was halted.The MLB announced today that the baseball season has been postponed for two weeks while the remainder of spring training has been cancelled. It appears possible this postponement will lead to a 2020 season that is akin to 1995, where the season was shortened by 18 games. Rosters could be expanded to allow flexibility with each team if a player is sick. However, with the ever-changing state of the union, this postponement could be extended. How could a longer postponement affect the season schedule, fans, player salaries, and game locations? Three possible future outcomes for the 2020 baseball season are highlighted below. Scenario 1: The baseball season is pushed back between 1-3 months Logistics: Opening Day will be moved to late April, May, or June. Subsequently, the playoffs will begin in either November, December, or January if a full season is played. Outcomes: The biggest question at hand if the season is delayed is whether the baseball season will be played in full or abridged. In 1995, the season was shortened by 18 games due to the players’ strike the year prior. However, if the season is shortened by a month or more, how will each team’s schedule be affected? If all interleague and interdivision play is reduced or eliminated, this can greatly affect each team’s record, which is a major factor in the playoff seeding. Although the Minnesota Twins will have the advantage of playing in a less competitive division, other playoff contenders in more difficult divisions, such as the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, could see skewed records and results. In the scenario that the baseball season is postponed for a few months, the end of the baseball season and the playoffs will look drastically different. For example, if Opening Day is moved to late May, the playoffs will be scheduled to occur during December, with the potential of a Christmas World Series. Assuming that the football season will carry on as planned, baseball will be competing for viewership, attendance, and coverage with football for approximately half its season. In the scenario that Opening Day is delayed to late June, playoff baseball will perfectly coincide with playoff football. This is all, of course, given the assumption that the game can be played without weather being a factor, especially given that numerous contenders are located in essentially the northern tundra, without the luxury of a dome. Scenario 2: The season is suspended until the All Star "break" Logistics: The second half of the season will kick off with Opening Day, rather than the All-Star game. The All-Star Game will cancelled. The season will be cut in half, with 81 games, rather than 162. This way, the percentage of games between teams, leagues, and divisions will not be affected Outcomes: One of the biggest challenges with a shortened season is maintaining the integrity of each team’s schedule, as mentioned previously. However, cutting the season in half helps maintain the integrity of each team’s schedule, while adding significance to each and every game. October baseball will go on as previously scheduled, without additional competition with the NFL. However, how will players’ salaries be affected? Will teams be asked to pay out for the entirety of the season, even if just 81 games are played? How will this affect contracts? Does 81 games constitute an entire season? Lastly, how will player and team suspensions be affected? For example, will Michael Pineda be expected to serve the entirety of this 60 game suspension in 2020? In the specific example of the Twins, losing Michael Pineda for 74% of the season is extremely significant and impactful. How will the outcome of the Red Sox’ investigation be affected with a shortened season? Although there are still a lot of questions to be answered, MLB will be expected to provide the solutions as swiftly and quickly as possible. Scenario 3: The season is cancelled Logistics: The 2020 baseball season is fully cancelled Outcomes: This move would be incredibly disappointing and detrimental for all players, employees, and fans. However, cancelling the entire 2020 season isn’t out of the question. Even just 48 hours ago, the thought of postponing an entire season for any sport seemed impossible. However, it’s impossible to predict the future and outcomes that correlate with this virus. While this may not be the most likely scenario right now, don’t rule it out either. During this trying time, fans are depending on sports and other forms of entertainment to keep their anxieties at bay. It’s devastating to see any changes and delays to our beloved national pastime. However, first and foremost, it’s most important to keep all players and employees safe and healthy. Let’s all wash our hands to the tune of “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” until Opening Day, even if it isn't until 2021. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Chief has moved to Massachusetts.

I’m “stuck” in Fort Myers with no games to watch. I am going golfing later this morning. My fiancée is scheduled to fly down a week from yesterday, but that plan is doubtful. I’m waiting until the weekend to determine whether I’ll head back early or hang on here. I made a blog entry entitled “Strange Days” about my experiences yesterday.

Great post and I've enjoyed reading everyone'scomments. I'm a 3rd grade teacher in Red Wing, MN, so we're going about our every day business with a more vigilant effort toward washing our hands, cleaning classroom syrfaces more frequently, and trying to keep a steady reaction to all the changes going on around us. I plan on rewatching the 87 and 91 World Series games, if I end up having some time off (our district does not currently have online capabilities at the elementary level), and possibly doing some rearranging in my sports room. Stay healthy everyone and wash, wash, wash your hands.

I have always wanted to learn how to play Stratematic Baseball. Maybe this will be the season to learn that game.

We were told today ... we’re out for 30 days. I work for an arts organization, so no performances for 30 days. Thankfully, we’re still getting paid. There is an ‘out clause’ in our contracts in case of such events (the wording specifically mentions epidemics), but the board chose not to do that. I would have been okay for 30 days ... it’s much easier to save and stretch one’s salary when you are a household of one ... but many of my colleagues would have had difficulties. The freelancers ar going to be seriously hurting. I had a scheduled week off next week and still deciding whether or not to follow through with those plans ... no, thankfully, it’s not a cruise.

Great thread idea. I went looking to see if the Rod Carew Game (6/26/77) is on YouTube. It’s not, but there’s some cool Carew stories there. And as a bonus, I discovered that that day also was Elvis’ last concert. I travel a lot for work, so today I had to cancel two trips. I spent about 75 minutes on hold with Delta, waiting to get a refund on travel, before giving up because I had a Zoom call beginning. I interact with churches in my work, and I’m part of a faith tradition that puts a high value on “community,” so there’s been a fair amount of discussion about how to do that in a time of “social distancing.” One of the ideas we’re going to try in lieu of some canceled dinner meetings on said trip are “virtual potlucks,” where we’ll invite people to join a Zoom call over supper in their respective homes. Who knows how it will go, but I think it will be fun to try. I’m also hoping that the cancellation of March Madness will serve as the great equalizer in my fantasy league. See, normally I’m the guy who skips watching March Madness to bone up on my draft strategy, but it never works. I’m hoping that with the other owners not being able to watch hoops, they’ll fritter their time away preparing for the draft as well, and perhaps they’ll overanalyze themselves down to my level.

I’ve watched both series before, but the ‘91 series is more of a priority. So many incredible moments! And I think this period of time is going to change a lot of jobs/colleges for good (more working online/from home).

In Minnesota they could play baseball at US Bank theoretically if the season went that late. That would be an interesting setting.

In 1918 Spanish Flu became the last act in the horrible loss of life that had been WWI, "By the time it had spread across the United States, the deadly event had killed an estimated 675,000 Americans." If you wonder why the world is reacting so vigorously to Corona think about this from MLB.Com history - "In just 15 months Spanish flu killed, according to best estimates today, between 50 million and 100 million worldwide. It infected an estimated 500 million people around the world, about a third of the planet’s total population." United States Surgeon General Rupert Blue in September 1918. “People are stricken on the streets or while at work. First there is a chill, then fever with temperatures from 101 to 103, headache, backache, reddening and running of the eyes, pains and aches all over the body, and general prostration. Persons so attacked should go to their homes at once, get into bed without delay and immediately call a physician.” MLB.com reports, "the flu took: Cy Swain, a minor leaguer from 1904 to 1914 who slugged 39 home runs in 1913; Larry Chappell, a big league outfielder for the White Sox, Indians and Boston Braves between 1913 and 1917; catcher Leo McGraw, a minor leaguer between 1910 and 1916; catcher Harry Glenn, a minor leaguer from 1910 to 1918 who spent time with the 1915 Cardinals; minor league pitcher Dave Roth, who played between 1912 and 1916; and minor league pitcher Harry Acton, who played in 1917." The death of umpire Silk O'Loughlin shocked everyone. He was the name most people recognized. "O’Loughlin umpired in the American League from 1902 to 1918 while working the World Series in 1906, 1909, 1912, 1915 and 1917." The Philadelphia Inquirer reported - "Officials responded by banning most public gatherings. Impacted sporting events included high school and college football games, amateur soccer matches, and a fight between Jack Dempsey and Battling Levinsky." The Inquirer added - "Penn’s game against Georgia Tech was canceled. The Quakers postponed a contest with the Navy Yard’s Marines, and when it took place on Oct. 26, it was played at an empty Franklin Field. A campus rally for a much-anticipated game against eventual national champion Pitt was called off, as was a war-bond fund-raiser featuring movie star William S. Hart. "Penn wasn’t alone. Most college football teams, including an unbeaten Michigan squad, had to shorten their schedules because of the epidemic." "Major League Baseball got lucky. Because of World War I, its season had ended a month early, on Sept. 2, before the worst of the outbreak. Still, throughout organized baseball, at least seven players, including Negro League star Ted Kimbro, eventually died from the flu." In the World Series that was played in September the paper reported, "Boston’s Babe Ruth, then a robust 23-year-old, was stricken twice but fought it off sufficiently to pitch and win a pair of games for the victorious Red Sox." Baseball is a wonderful sport, but health is first and should always be first in our nation, politics, and decisions.

So. Friday is normally when I do jokes about Mickey Hatcher and we all have a good time until someone smarter at baseball than I am posts about Max Kepler’s launch angle or Lewis Thorpe’s demotion. It’s incredibly hard to do that right now.You all know from sources more reliable for health information than this one about flattening the curves, washing your hands, and distancing your socials. What you don’t know is what you’re going to watch now that there’s no baseball (or any other sport—they canceled golf for pity’s sake) for a good month. I’m here to help. I’ve watched a lot of movies and TV. More than one should. At least that’s what I thought until now, when many, many, many people are going to be stuck, at home, looking for viewing options. After you’ve watched your DVDs of the 1987 and 1991 World Series and binged Game 5 of the 2002 ALDS on YouTube, you will be struggling. I’m going to offer a suggestion: Justified. Based on the work of legendary writer Elmore Leonard, it follows U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens as he returns to his childhood home of Harlan County, Kentucky. It is, and I am not exaggerating here at all, the best TV show ever made that isn’t The Sopranos or seasons 3-8 of The Simpsons. Timothy Olyphant is Marshal Givens. I mean, he just IS. On another show he’d be the clear highlight, but on Justified he isn’t even the best character. That’s Boyd Crowder, Raylan’s former coal mining buddy, played by Walton Goggins. The way he says “Raylan Givens” is actually better than the best moment of your life. Your marriage. Your children. Professional achievements. Personal growth through unknowable challenges. Still better. He’s that good. The rest of the cast is up to the task of playing third fiddle. Crusty boss Art. Wiseass co-workers Tim and Rachel. Love interests (who aren’t just window dressing) Ava and Winona. Father Arlo. Wynn Duffy. Mags Bennett. Loretta McCreedy. DEWEY CROWE. Since everything beautiful has at least one flaw, they also cast Michael Rapaport as a southerner. We don’t talk about it much. Unlike Game of Thrones, you can dip in on a season and enjoy single episodes. Unlike Law & Order, it’s a bit serialized within seasons and rewards binge viewing. And by all accounts many of you are going to have time to binge. Hulu just acquired the rights to all the FX Network’s programs, and you can find it there. I am told by reliable sources the DVDs can be acquired online or even checked out from your public library, so go with that if it’s better for your situation. And most of all, please wash your hands. Click here to view the article

Dobnak and Astudillo are way underrated. But yeah, Kepler is the baseball crush of every baseball fan of the opposite gender that I know.

Oh, suuuure. The kids all arrive, they find the doors are locked, and then the principal jumps out from behind the shrubbery to yell, APRIL FOOLS!

I'm right there with ya. I live down the street from the Life Care Center in Kirkland, where the biggest outbreak occurred. Fortunately, I'm able to work from home most of the time, but it's hard now that my kids are going to be out of school for the next 6 weeks. None of us have shown any symptoms yet though (knock on wood), but we're still being cautious. Even though it's inconvenient that everything is closing down, I think it was the right move. I sure am bummer about March Madness being cancelled and baseball season being delayed though.

Yet the Anderson mantra of do not walk batters lives on as Twins relievers had the lowest BB%

Ball Four by Jim Bouton

Post of the Day!

I like Buxton batting 9th, he seems comfortable there. If gets on base, puts speed on in front of Twins best hitters. He contributes most on defense, why put extra pressure on him batting. When healthy Buxton is an elite center fielder, to say let's see if a prospect is as good seems a little optimistic.

The last time a read The Stand I was sick. That was not the time to read that. Nor would this be the time. An intense read for sure. Good luck if you pick it up.

Also, have a video of the Mets singling their way into a 9-2-6-baserunner-3-2 double play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-FQeuVXKDs

My full-time job is working from home for 30 days beginning next week. My part-time job said they are cancelling the first two weeks at minimum, so who knows when I'll get to pick up some extra hours/cash at Target Field. If you're looking for some fun past Twins games on YouTube, might I suggest the "Classic Twins" channel? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWziZEBF4RX0E-KyQybFIPQ You will lose hours of your life in there; it's amazing.

The problem is that this probably helps our main competitors more than us. Some, such as myself, were of the opinion that Bux was actually being artificially held back so that he wasn't given an unnecessary amount of ST action in which he could have hurt himself. After all, the most important thing for Bux to be helpful to us isnt his bat but his glove, and his glove shouldnt need much ramp up time. Otherwise, while this may help Hill get back earlier, it also pushes back how soon Pinada can join us. Given how iffy Hill is as an option, I personally consider this at best as a neutral exchange. More painfully, this gives the Yankees and Indians and Astros a chance to enter the league fully healthy, rather than starting out injured and letting us build a cushion. The Yanks were expected to be without Hicks, Paxton, Stanton, and Judge. If the start is delayed a few weeks, they can get back each of Paxton, Stanton, and Judge. If a month+, they might get close to Hicks. Similarly, this delay might enable both Clevinger and Carrasco to be ready for the start of the season when they previously were not supposed to be. This will also allow Verlander to start the season for the astros, which he previously was not supposed to. I dont want to be unnecessarily negative, but this delay is frankly far better for our main competitors than it is for us.

The Catcher was a Spy. - Nicholas Dawidoff About the life of Moe Berg. Much better than the film version. Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter’s Box. - Eric Bronson (ed.) Yes, baseball has a philosophy. Why is it so special to us?

What bugs me most about Buxton not being able to stay on the field is his lack of awareness of when to go full throttle and when not to. If I remember correctly the game he got injured in last season against Miami, the Twins were 7 - 0 and it was late in the game. There was no need for him to run full speed into the wall to try and catch that ball. Let it hit the wall and play it off the bounce.

Justified is also one of my top 5 shows ever, if not the top. Good choice! The Shield (also from FX) is also a good one to dive into if you never have. Walton Goggins is in that too.

Season 1 of The Walking Dead.

It’s such a strange moment in time. So many conflicting thoughts about this are in my head. My wife is a nurse. One of her primary responsibilities is infection control. I understand the importance of that. But on the other hand life will go on. It has to go on. We don’t live in a bubble. Whether it’s business sports politics or nature it is survival of the fittest. There is only so much we can do to stop the spread of this. Please use common sense. If you are sick. Stay home. Wash and sanitize your hands and keep those hands to yourself. Beyond that there is very little we can do to change the direction this is headed.

Terrific article which tells me Two Things: 1) Chalmers was a definite sleeper and the Twins were smart to grab him in the Rodney trade and 2) Twins must extend Wes Johnson’s contract ASAP! Thx Parker for an even than Better usual article !

Welp, this topic aged gracefully.

This has been my fifth or sixth time in camp with the Twins covering it for Twins Daily. I can honestly say this has been the weirdest experience yet.

what a terrible shame

Life is too short at times. Make sure you tell those you care about that you love them whenever you can. Never know if you'll get another chance.

?? Well, it doesn't seem to be the Twins beat writers. He's a first-round draft pick, still assumed to be on track for at least a utility (or depth) role in the major leagues....probably worthy of note explaining what's going on, no?