Leaderboard

Today The Twins play the Yankees in a doubleheader in the Bronx. Twins fans obviously have nightmares about facing this opponent, especially on their home turf, but fortunately I happen to have at least one fond memory of a Twins-Yankees game in the House of Horrors. I've always lived in New York State and over the years I've tried to catch the team on their visits to Boston and New York. (My trips to Boston have been much more enjoyable on many levels!) The last game I attended was in May of 2019 against the Yankees in the new Yankee Stadium, which is a monolith and is as far removed from a Fenway-type ball park as you can get. My 20-something daughter and I took a two hour Metro North train ride from my home in the Hudson Valley to the Yankees-East 153rd exit for a Saturday afternoon game at a packed Yankee Stadium. Jake Odorizzi pitched two-hit, shut-out ball for six innings, and Mitch Garver, CJ Cron, and Nelson Cruz went deep (the first two against Yankee starter JA Happ) as the Twins pounded New York 7-3 in a rare win in the Bronx. After the game, the two of us and about 40,000 disgruntled Yankee fans all headed for the train station. My daughter and I ended up wedged like sardines into a train car that was SRO, but here's the interesting thing: we were shoulder to shoulder with about 12 other Twins fans! What were the chances? I met a 30-something guy who started following the Twins during the Gardenhire years. He liked how those teams played the game. Another guy had some serious PTSD regarding Joe Nathan's implosions in the playoffs. He couldn't stop recounting Nathan's blown saves, almost pitch-by-pitch. An older man was there with his three adult sons. He said he had recently moved his family from Minnesota to upstate New York. It was great to commiserate with all these Twins fans in the heart of Yankees territory, and it was especially enjoyable to share the day with my daughter. We now have a bucket list item to attend a game at Target Field. Before we get to the lineups, here is a Spot Quiz: What percentage of doubleheaders in MLB this season have been sweeps? There have been 51 doubleheaders through August 18th, and 23 of them (45%) have ended up as sweeps. Which is higher than I would have expected. My guess is the sheer number of bad teams has contributed to this high percentage. Spot Quiz #2: Where does the term doubleheader originate? A doubleheader refers to a train pulled by a locomotive with two engines, and baseball likely started using the term in the early days when teams traveled exclusively by train. Game 1 lineup ... Louie Varland takes the hill to make his big league debut against Domingo Herman (2-3) TWINS L. Arraez 1B C. Correa SS J. Miranda 3B N. Gordon 2B G. Urshela DH K. Garlick RF J. Cave LF G. Sanchez C G. Celestino CF YANKEES O. Cabrera RF A. Judge DH G. Torres 2B R. Guzman 1B M. Andujar LF I. Kiner-Falefa 3B E. Florial CF K. Higashioka C O. Peraza SS

Start with one please. Set the SP bar at Berrios-esque level, one guy who can be effective over time, pitch every fifth day, doesnt have to compete for the Cy Young, but can anchor the staff and on occasion rises to the stopper type guy we seem to not be able to find. Then develop a 2nd a 3rd who can manage mid-rotation, doesnt have to be lights out, just give the team a chance on most days. And manage to keep filling the pitching roster as the annual churn happens. Because it seems pretty clear the Twins are not going to pay market rates as guys near or achieve FA status. So this very very fine needle they have to thread (and that is not Falvey's fault, but it sure does restrict his abilities), is limiting......but as Nick points out, the best way to thread that needle is to have a development program in constant state of preparing the next cycle, and knowing which of those prospects to move in trade or release, and which to give a shot at MLB level. Falvey regime results to-date are a mixed bag, at best.

#1: The pitching pipeline depleting due to injury or performance. Winder, Ober, Alcala, Canterino, etc. getting injured for long periods of time. Balazovic and Sands taking massive steps back in AAA. #2: Emilio Pagan. Not even Alex Colomé single handedly caused as many losses as Pagan in a Twins uniform. #3: Alex Kirilloff. His career is at risk with his wrist injuries. We may never know if he’ll reach his star potential. #4: Miguel Sano. The last 3 seasons have been incredibly frustrating watching him play. Good riddance. #5: Derek Falvey. Trading for 2 high injury risk pitchers and both of them getting injured within 2-3 weeks after acquiring them.

Congrats to Louie Varland, exceptional job.

Helluva debut, young man!

What a way to enter the big leagues. Yankee stadium is the most intimidating place in MLB and the pressure there is more than any where else - ask Sonny Gray. A lot of pitchers are overwhelmed by being in the place. So that combined with the fact that it is his debut means that the most important aspect of his start is how he controls his emotions.

We need a serious house cleaning and rebuild. Don’t want to hear it about injuries. Been an all year thing

I'd give Pagan all five spots if possible. I don't get how three years of being BAD at your job allows you to stay on the team because you have "stuff". Buxton could be an honorable mention, frankly. Outside the start of the year, they've gotten little to nothing from him

For a bottom feeder team. I enjoyed these success stories during the long winter of 2012-2016. 2017 raised my sights a bit, along with FO promises of sustained success, and while every team needs to fill out their roster with finds like Dobnak, it doesn't represent anything important to the franchise.

This is only my opinion. To answer your question...Baldelli follows the script. He does exactly what his analytic data sheets tell him to do. I don't think he currently has the ability, or maybe even the authority, to do anything but that. Whether that makes him a "middle manager"...I don't know. As I said...this only my opinion. I don't particularly care for the way the team is managed and the decisions that are made...by whomever is making them. I honestly don't think Baldelli is making them...they're coming from the FO.

Your bar is insanely low if you consider Dobnak a major success story.

Ryan isn't a product of the Twins development system. He was MLB ready when they acquired him.

So with hunting season coming up, I'm reminded of a tragic story of two of my retired USAF friends. They were out hunting when one of them clutched his chest and fell to the ground, not visibly breathing. My other friend frantically called 911 and told the story. "I think he's dead!" he cried into the phone. The 911 operator told him "Well, the first thing we need to do is make sure he's actually dead." "One sec," my friend said, dropping the phone. A couple seconds later the 911 operator heard the sound of a gunshot. My friend came back on the phone. "That should do it," he said. "Now what?"

He was jogging down the line hahhahaha

Tommy Watkins cannot be the third base coach next year. In fact there had better be an entirely new coaching staff next year. Can’t take any more of this garbage

It's also pretty hard to consistently score runs if you don't have guys in the lineup who score them (by getting on base).

At this rate we may see the fastest Yankees game in the modern era. Louie doesn't mess around out there. He must have dinner plans somewhere nice. I hope someone told him there is another game after this one...

Quick worker. Thanks minor league pitch clock

Pretty sure Sano figures in here someplace too.

As a former middle manager, I can assure you he has instructions from above, and freedom to act. There is no such thing as only following a spreadsheet. That's a ridiculous meme with no reality. As for judging his decisions? They aren't his alone. There will never be a baseball manager again that acts without the guidance of the front office and others. And that's likely good for making better decisions as a whole. Those won't always work, as no good process can cover for bad decisions or bad luck. Judge as you want, but my hope is this site does so intelligently and with some humor and humanity.

Like I said in the post -- nice success stories for the players, not yet success stories for the organization. Taking out the "buts," "ifs," and "considerings," you cannot objectively call either of these guys successful MLB players yet when they are both 27 years old and have each thrown 125 total innings with below-average ERAs. "Moral victories are for minor-league coaches." - Jay Z

33 appearances, with 21 starts over 3 years, totalling 125.2 IP at a 4.94 ERA and 1.38 WHIP doesn't do it for you?

The best news last night was Ober pitching and pitching well. It would help for this year and next year if he could get back in the rotation yet this fall. For whatever reason, one time Smeltzer looks unhittable and the next time he can't get anyone out. With his stuff, it is all about command. Williams is quietly having quite a year--27 homers and 84 RBI (I know, old time stats) in 98 games. It will be interesting to see if he builds on his success next year.

On a personal level, yeah, making the big leagues is a massive success. From a team standpoint, that's not remotely the case. Think about how low we're setting the bar when Dobnak or Thielbar are some of the first names mentioned as success stories. The "pipeline," is a meme at this point. Every organization has a Festa or Nowlin; guys in low minors who maybe if things break right find themselves in a major league rotation. That can't be where the goalposts are shifting.

You chose the right players! As our most optimistic writer this was a nice reminder of our young studs and how they have emerged. I hope Louie Varland becomes the next great addition.

I just finished listening to Joe Madden talk with Jason Stark and Doug Glanville and it was terrific. As a carry over from that discussion I had to think about Rocco. As Joe talked about the management styles of past managers - Billy Martin, Earl Weaver, Whitey Herzog, Tommy Lasorda, Casey Stengel,.. they had their own signature that you saw on the teams they managed. They were not cookie cutter copycats. They all managed with their players in mind. They knew what they were capable of and played to that strength. Some ran, some pitched, some hit long balls. But the manager had control. Then analytics came along and provided reams of information - many times too much to be absorbed by a pitcher or hitter or catcher. It was good stuff, valuable stuff, but as Joe talked he reflected on the way that management took the pregame warm up and inserted an hour long dialogue filled with so much information that the player was in a daze at times. He talked about how the FO fell in love with this information and decided that they should control the way the manager managed. For many teams the manager became a middle management guy doing what the analytic guy sitting in the dugout told him to do every step of the way. He also made the point that team FOs have started to compete for the smartest, most savvy, most information gathering and they lost track of the human aspect of the game. They have inserted themselves into the clubhouse, into the dugout and into the minds of the players. Rocco has sixteen coaches and the FO lists 31 staff but in the reference that I am using for the remaining comparison he had nine.. You know everyone wants to say something or they might lose their status. Paul Molitor had 8 coaches. Ron Gardenhire had seven in 2013 and six in 2012. Tom Kelly had six in 2000 and five in 1999. Ray Miller and Billy Gardner had four in 1985. Gene Mauch had four in 1980. Frank Quilici had three in 1975 and four in his other years. Bill Rigney had five in 1970. Billy Martin had five in 1969. Sam Mele had four in 1965. So the question is - does Rocco manage or does he follow the script? Should we complain about Rocco or the person telling him what to do? For those of you who do not get the Athletic here is the interview from Youtube -

How’d we win 18% ???

Silver lining: with these lineups, Rocco can plan for the staff to only cover 8 innings on the road. (It’s a bold strategy, Cotton.)

Well thankfully we didn’t sign him to get big hits

At least after this series we can kind of tune out and put our energy into the Vikings disappointing everyone and just missing the playoff again

Provus and Gladden have Levine on the radio and they aren’t towing the company line like Dick Bremer. Gladden asked why they aren’t teaching pitchers to make it the 3rd time through the order… Provus questioned Buxton’s rest schedule and hiding him at DH. Levine obviously went with corporate speak saying many words that ended up being nothing at all. But I respect them at least asking some tough questions.

The Yankee's dominance over the Twins has reached such monumental proportions that it has to be a featured entry in psychology textbooks and the focus of research papers & symposiums on behavioral science. As a Twins fan it has been brutal to endure, but I must admit that it has also become quite fascinating to behold.

Simply awful. Find ways to lose, rather than ways to win. 4 errors. Celestino thrown out at home by 30 feet with none out in the 10th. Jax finds a way to throw a dinger to Glayber frigging Torres to cough up a 2 run lead. Based loaded one out in the 12th, Correa pops up on the 1st pitch, not even a strike. Megill has a another, what?...2 hits given up on 0-2 pitches? More rolling curves. Twins have not 1 but TWO Yankees caught off base in the 12th and Correa gets neither. For some reason Hamilton is in left field by the 6th inning. What? That results in a three pitch K for pinch hitter Kepler, who can't play the field, leaving Gordon in left and Palacios hitting 6th. It's tough being a Twins fan some days.

I'm sorry but you don't leave a kid in the game in his 1st MLB start to face Judge a 3rd time, especially after he homered against him in his last AB. Rocco made the right decision taking him out. The Twins offense lost this game, plain and simple.

You aren’t wrong about the lineup around him but can you name the clutch hits he’s had this year? I can think of maybe one. There was a big home run somewhere I think. But without the help of baseball reference I really can’t think of any. His defense has been outstanding but his clutch hitting has not existed for the twins

After a Game 1 loss for the ages, the Twins will tee it up again against the Yankees in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Twins: L. Arraez, DH C. Correa SS J. Miranda 1B N. Gordon 2B G. Urshela 3B K. Garlick RF J. Cave LF G. Celestino CF S. Leon C J. RYan, P (10-7, 1.14 WHIP) Yankees: A. Hicks LF A. Judge DH G. Torres 2B O. Cabrera RF J. Trevino C M. Gonzalez 1B I. Kiner-Falefa 3B E. Florial CF O. Peraza SS G. Cole, P (10-7, 1.01 WHIP)

What a pathetic showing from our position players. 4 errors, multiple more mistakes. 1 run scored in innings 10-12. Pathetic.

These two teams are setting baseball back about 110 years

Look at the lineup the Yankees threw out there today. If we can't beat this team, forget it.

Heh. Weak ass broken bat bloop FC from Urshela and 3 pitch K from Kepler. I'm going postal on the next person who tells me RBI are meaningless. And now we learn Kepler isn't even healthy enough to take the field. Then I ask again...WTF was Hamilton doing in the game, and why would you then PH Kepler for him? I was fully off the Rocco bandwagaon a few weeks ago, and remain fully there. He's not a very good manager, and the FO had nothing to do with those decisions today. Nothing.

I was just thinking, I can't remember the last time I looked at a Yankee lineup and didn't know at least 6 or 7 of the position players.

Pagan to me is the number one issue. The geniuses that say he has great stuff then send him out and watch him blow so many games. Don't these people see the results? He's terrible. He's been terrible for 3 years. It's a joke. Buxton? He's not a real disappointment. This is the 8th year now of injuries. We should be used to that by now. What's more frustrating is people expecting him to be something he isn't. That is a full time superstar player. And then act surprised when he is hurt again. We only have 7 more seasons of this. Sano? Time to let him go. Kirilloff is frustrating because he has raw talent but is always injured. I hope his career isn't over. Falvey trading for pitchers with injuries then acts surprised when they get injured. Lots of twins candidates this year. Good article! Well written!

Lots of possibilities for disappointment ... Did everyone forget about duffey ...

I agree , sonny was furious when he was removed from a game early and interviewed after the game , you could see his frustration , maybe he and Rocco have made amends or he is just keeping comments in house now .... I'm going to make a prediction that sonny gray makes a demand for a trade after the season , It just seems right by the veterans attitude ....

Excited to see Cody Laweryson, one of the best names in the system (along with Kody Funderburk) excelling. I wonder if the Twins have him in mind as a starter or a reliever. He began the year in relief and now he's starting. Also, he's from Maine! Not too many professional athletes from Maine! Drew Strotman seems to have figured something out. After a terrible beginning of the season, his relief appearances have been much much better in the second half. Don't look now, but the Twins could have a very good rotation next season. Gray, Maeda, Mahle, Ryan, Ober is a really solid set of incumbents. Then there's Balazovic, Varland, Winder, and Woods Richardson on the threshold. Finally Chris Paddack could come into the picture too when healthy, although I'd bet he is used entirely as a reliever next year.

Sad to see that Anthony Escobar was released. I remember back when he was what, a 17 year old playing his first season in the DSL. Put up numbers I don't recall ever seeing, from a Twins pitcher, over all the years watching these minor league kids. And Edward Julien gets 2 hits, again. I don't know what the future holds, but there has to be some way to get this young man into future Twins plans. Noticed the above disappointment about Enlow. Let's remember guys (and gals) that he began his year mid-season coming back from TJ surgery. Pitching in games is a win, a big win, and the results don't matter. Should he not have success in 2023, then it will be time to worry.

I think you are pretty spot on. I keep looking at who might have top of the rotation potential and have to squint just to see Varland and SWR. We are pretty much looking all the way back to Prielipp now and he hasn't even pitched this year yet. Maybe Festa but given his build he looks more like a future pen arm than starter although he did hold up this year. Povich was the only other guy that looked like a possibility and he got traded for a bag of magical beans that gives up leads in the 9th more than he creates saves. The OP is right I went into the year defending the FO for a pitching pipeline that had Balazovich, Sands, Henriquez, Winder, Duran, Enlow on the horizon, Varland, SWR, with some young guys coming up in Povich, Hajjar and Petty with outside chances in SGL, Headrick, Mooney and Festa. Almost all of it has cratered or been traded away. It almost feels like they are back to square one. To say there is ton of pressure on the pitching pipeline feels like an understatement. They will never compete in the division and ultimately the playoffs if they can't do better than this. I like Falvine but if they don't get some wins on the pitching side I don't see how they end up any better than the Ryan regime and that is not saying much.

To me Gordon is the best story... persevered through chronic health issues and the burden of immense expectations to realize his potential. By all accounts, he also a sparkplug for the team. He will still need to prove that he can continue to adjust in the MLB as teams/pitchers adjust to him (with success comes greater opposition scrutiny), but his disposition makes continued sucess more likely than not. Kudos to you Mr. Gordon!