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When Gray is on he is a pleasure to watch. The way he sets up that two seamer that comes back over the plate is awesome. He talked about working faster after watching Varland, that **** has me very excited to watch MLB pitching next year. It will be interesting to see how the fast pace effects different pitcher's velo and spin. Could be a game changing year.

I have enjoyed the Twins 2022 much more than 2021. Am I disappointed with the way the Twins' 2022 season has unraveled? Yes. But I try to take each game one at a time. I have enjoyed seeing the many successes during this season. At least the Twins were more competitive this year. I have enjoyed the positive attitudes of Correa, Gray, Urshela, Leon, Arraez and Cave. I have enjoyed the successes of several young players: Duran, Ryan, Miranda, Jax, Arraez and Gordon. I have marveled at Correa's fielding skills, his rocket throws and his leadership. I have been educated by Dick Bremer, Justin Morneau, LaTroy Hawkins, Roy Smally and Glen Perkins. All are men I would enjoy sharing a beer with at a ball game. It's almost like being present and watching a baseball game with them, as I listen to their insights and their extensive baseball knowledge and their humor. I have been so happy for Kitty and Tony O. What really nice men they are. And I like the way the Twins organization honors and respects Carew, Tony O. and Kitty and other Twins "old-timers". I have seen glimpses of Twins' hitters finally trying to hit against the shift, as Carlos and Gio and especially Arraez have shown can be done with success. I have enjoyed throughout most of this season, telling my "Braves loving buddies" that my Twins were still in first place. I have even more reasons to fuel my hatred for the Yankees. Covid has become a much more manageable issue thanks to vaccines. The noises of the crowds can now be heard at games, and we no longer have silly cardboard cutouts silently watching. For these reasons and the fact that I am getting older, I must honestly say, I have enjoyed the 2022 season much more than 2021. And even though today I can see her standing in the wings, ready to make an appearance, the fat lady ain't sung yet.

I don't think they are giving up on him. They are just making room on the 40-man for players that need to be added. No one is going to claim him at this point, he will more than likely get an invite to ST as a non-roster invitee and he can still pitch his way back onto the roster. Giving up on him would be releasing him.

The journey this year is a million times better than last. Last year was bad so early, and so deeply, it made the rest of the year less fun.

Look at that gorgeous bullpen chart. Sonny Gray has flown a bit under the radar for the Twins this year, but he really has been a brilliant pickup. The Royals are just unbelievably bad. I may think it's embarrassing to have Gio Urshela hitting fourth, when on a healthy team he would be seventh or lower, but if he played for the Royals he would be their second or third best hitter. With Bundy going tomorrow maybe we won't shut them out again, but we certainly should take another comfortable win. Hopefully the White Sox beat Cleveland in eighteen innings this afternoon and Karinchak gets put on the IL after he accidentally glues his hand to a post.

SWR has had a very good season. Consistent performance across AA and AAA and good health. He’s quickly running out of things to prove in the minors.

Yes. Very frustrating season for all the reasons mentioned in the well written article. Add to it the teams pit hing philosophy of short starts and not having an adequate bullpen to back them up. I believe the bullpen has lost over two dozen games. Carlos Correa doing very little offensively until the last month of the season. Terrible base running, terrible in game managing by Baldelli. Yes the injuries have been way too high. But to be honest many of those injured players were either not projected to help much or contribute to the major league club. The injuries piled up at the end making for a convenient excuse to a dissappointing season. When the team was relatively healthy, playing with a normal lineup, they blew many winnable games. Remember those 5 disastorus losses to Cleveland earlier this year? Yes it's been frustrating because the division was very winnable. It's frustrating to see it slip away. It's also frustrating to see the health players perform so poorly with very little energy.

It is the complete dominance of KC and the bottom dwellers and the complete incompetence against playoff caliber teams. Even bad teams are supposed to beat the good teams sometimes and good teams are supposed to play the other good teams at an even level.

Yeah, I think that's wrong. That would be the financial arrangement if the Twins released the player. A waiver claim brings the current contract, whatever it may be, intact to the claiming team. Usually that's league minimum, but not in Dobber's case.

And what factual information do you have that makes you believe he was only good because he used " sticky stuff"? Why spread derogatory rumors with no evidence to back up your statement. Just another negative take for the sake of being negative.

He's averaging over a K/inning this season, which is down a little for him but I'm not sure it's something to worry about it at this point. He hasn't been at elite levels this year, but his K/9 would be higher than any Twins starter this season outside of Louie Varland (who has one game under his belt, but has a higher K/9 in the minors as well). I'm very happy with SWR's season: he's pitching late into the year, he's been mostly healthy (except for a bout with COVID I believe), he's pitched more innings than any year since he was 18, and he absolutely earned the promotion to AAA and performed really well since moving up.

My frustration continues to be management off season gambles on starting pitching no one wants. Bundy has been ok but Archer has been a complete waste of time. If this management group doesn't value starting pitching, and it seems clear to me they don't, then stop bringing old rehabbed starters in and spend your money on more and better bullpen guys. The use of Gray all year as been mystifying, the bullpen up until the trade deadline was below average. The Twins could have swept a 5 game series from Cleveland in June with a better bullpen. This team is where they are because of a lack of important pieces in June, games were handed to opponents, the injuries suck now but this division could have been ours before mid July with better moves in the winter.

Although the contract to Dobnak is life changing it is not some crazy amount of money to the Twins that it was a bad signing. We could not predict he would have injuries that set him back so much. It is not like the contract he signed was expecting him to be a top line starter, but that of a 5th starter or long man out of pen. Could we have waited sure, but stop acting like we are financially strapped from signing of Dobnak. Should he never return we are out 8 million total through next 6 years. Pretty sure this will not affect the Twins signing any future players.

Well, I suppose the writer is correct. However, he doesn’t touch on the reasons why I am frustrated. Last nights game is a perfect example. We torch a guy then have a series of at bats that were almost worthless. We need a consistent effort at the plate to have good at bats. That means swing at your pitch and when you are behind, defend the plate. We have issues with this from the top of the order to the bottom. Rocco’s use of the bullpen. During a recent loss to Cleveland, I think the Archer game. We bring in a guy who struggles and Rocco rolls with him. We end up going down 6-0 and eventually lose 6-4. Those two runs were critical. You see other managers much more on top of their bullpen. Just one of many examples of Rocco’s mystical approach. Not running. We are giving away bases, I am assuming for health reasons. Whatever man, we are playing baseball. Play it!

I doubt anyone picks him up unless someone is looking for a 4th-5th SP potential steal. Doubtful. I do think Dobber gets a raw deal publicly as he was surprisingly solid after coming out of nowhere! Can you imagine pitching...and and pitching well at 3 levels in milb...in 2019 and then playing at a 4th level that is MLB! He was living a dream in 2019 with a handful of quality games before being unfairly asked to face the Yankees in the playoffs. He was actually a stalwart in the covid 2020 going 6-4 I believe, before a bad game with questionable calls. And then injuries hit. Just amazing how an injury to a finger can derail a potential career. The truth is, 2023 SHOULD have Gray, Mahle, Ryan, Maeda, Winder, Varland and SWR and possibly Balazovic for depth BEFORE any FA or trade acquisition. I seriously doubt the system has enough depth to make a major trade to add a SP. And that might be OK. A LOT depends on Correa being back as to what they can add. The PROPOSED rotation I just mentioned is pretty damn good with ANY decent health with depth because you will need 8-10 SP. Unless someone grabs Dobber, he's going to collect good ML money and sit at St Paul as an option. And history will show that he has a chance to be a 6th to 7th option who will get another shot.

He wasn't going to stay on the 40 man through the winter as we added others in the minors to it and signed free agents and the Twins thought now was the best time for him to clear through waivers.

If you constructed a Mount Rushmore for the four most accomplished people in Twins history, it would honor: Killebrew, Carew, Puckett, Randy Dobnak's agent But not necessarily in that order.

4 Reasons the 2022 Season is More Frustrating Than 2021 I suppose it's okay to call the season "frustrating" while it's still happening, but I'd prefer to wait until season's end for such analysis. But if you're suggesting that it hasn't been fun in 2022, I'll gladly take the frustration of August and September over the apathy that resulted from playing their way out of contention in April and May of 2021.

2021 was much more frustrating, as they were coming off consecutive division titles and went the opposite direction. I was expecting a continuation of the poor results this year, so the early quick start was a pleasant surprise and the reversion to form merely expected.

#1 Frustration: playing poor fundamental baseball virtually day-in and day-out, especially when we know that, with our roster and injuries, superior fundamentals - from both the players and coaching staff - is our best chance to truly contend. Sure, we’ve had more than our share of injuries. Get it. But there are no excuses for bad fundamental baseball. None. Zilch. Nada. If this team had been fundamentally sound, we’d be winning the division - injuries or not. That is what is so frustrating. Figure out how to solve that in 2023 and see where that gets us.

What is the point of locking up a potential 5th starter or long reliever long term?

We have three interesting prospects on the mound tonight--Balazovic, Headrick, and Raya. Hopefully, Balazovic has another good performance tonight so he has something to build on next year. He and SWR could both put themselves in a position to help next year at some point.

Nobody is going to claim him with that contract, and his rehab performances (he's been beaten like a rug to use an old-timer's phrase). He'll get a chance to heal up, and try to come back next year. Gonna be a lot more of this type of move before December (the 40 man including a LOT of 60 Day ILers are full of deadwood/fungible/marginal talent). (Archer, Bundy, Cotton, Coulombe, Enlow, Megill, Romero, A Sanchez, Stashak, Sands, Caleb Hamilton, Léon, G Sanchez, Sanó, Cave, Urshela, Contreras, Garlick, and Billy Hamilton are all names that might not be here next year, or might be resigned after waivers/release. I'd probably add Pagán, but I doubt the Twins would.)

Randy Dobnak is hardly the anchor weighing down the good ship Twinkes.

Dobnak was on the 60-day IL, but his injury had healed enough for a rehab assignment. I believe his rehab time is up, so now the choice is to reinstall him on the 40-man roster (either with the Twins or on option to St. Paul) or put him on waivers. This move makes the most sense and when he’s not claimed, he can be outrighted to St. Paul and off the 40-man roster.

Bring on the Indians!

No

Wow. Couldn't disagree more. Frustrating? Only in that most of us cared about the team deep into the season (and it is exceedingly clear now that a title is unlikely). That is what being a fan is about; following your team through the highs and lows, and living the pain and glory along with that team. Want to save on frustration? Never listen/watch a game live again; just stream complete Wins out of the MLB.tv archive, and you'll never need to be frustrated or surprised again. Also, stop following a team, and just hop from bandwagon to bandwagon watching only winners. Do that, and I guarantee you'll be frustration free, right next to this year's eventual champions, and hanging with the champions for the rest of your life. And pretty freaking bored. This team did NOT come into the season with great expectations; yep, picked for second in the division, but a distant second. They played in the division lead most of the season. They had things work (Miranda, Gordon, Larnach for a while), got some solid play from expected players, had lots of adversity, some serious peaks and valleys in management (seriously, how many roster-days have we played short, because the Twins carried hurt players who should have been on the IL, and I've seen Little League teams run the bases better). But the result isn't frustration, it is joy, pain, regret, glory, humility. The reason you follow a team.

The fans benefit the most.

No. Have watched several of his starts this year, including multiple where he was absolutely dominant. What you should take notice of in Triple-A for SWR so far, is his WHIP. I have often used a comparison to Jose Berrios for SWR in the minors. Basically have been the same ages at levels, and SWR's numbers are better, in my opinion. Some significantly, like overall K-rate (11.0 vs 9.6)

I'm to the point that I don't have any idea how injuries are managed. Like who is in charge of IL decisions? They have guys sit the full allotment of days they can before retroactively putting them on the IL (I think it's 4 days, but could be totally wrong). That means they play all of those days short handed with a completely wasted roster spot. Then their guys are slow to come back and 10/15 day IL stints that should last 4-6 weeks turn into 60 day IL stints that last 10+ weeks. I think it's pretty obvious the FO has a large hand in game strategy and player usage, and it's why I don't think Rocco gets fired. He's in lockstep with them and their strategies. I'm starting to wonder how much of a role they play in the injury prevention and treatment department. Do they hire conservative medical teams that agree with a preconceived idea that rest, off days, and long IL stints are the smart thing to do? Have they just hired incompetent medical teams that can't diagnose or treat injuries? Really my question is what role the FO plays in everything involved with injury prevention and treatment. If it's more than simply asking Drs for their suggestions I think it's a major problem. Either way they need to re-evaluate everything when it comes to injuries moving forward into 2023 and beyond.

14-7 (3 of 5 in Cleveland) rest of the year gets us into a possible Tie (85 wins) for the division. We are starting back-ups at 5 positions (whole outfield, 2B, & catcher)…….gonna be tough but have a shot!! Arraez has to play (leg problem) - can’t drop another key guy! More interesting & fun than 2021! I just checked Guardian’s schedule and unless there’s a mistake, they finish with 6 straight home games vs. the Royals. Tough to overcome that.

Concur. Jose Miranda may be the only Twins player to surpass 70 RBI this season. The last time the Twins only had 1 player with 70+ RBI was 1999. Marty Cordova led the team with exactly 70 RBI. This year was set up to be a real feast or famine lineup. More often than not we’ve seen famine, especially in clutch situations with RISP. If our pitching wasn’t great at the beginning of the year we would likely be 5-10 games under .500 right now. The offense has never held up their side of the bargain this season.

2-16 against the Yankees, Dodgers, and Astros. All bottom feeders except the Reds have more wins here (Reds better win% against these teams) Our RBI leader might finish with the lowest total in at least the last 20 years, and Miranda is outpacing everyone else's paltry sum. Who would you call in in the clutch? Zero Twins qualify. Consistency with the bat? No one but Arraez if singles are your jam. (Miranda looks legit but too early yet). Big hits were so spread out and rare I found myself in disbelief when someone finally mustered up enough courage. Yeah, I remember very few offenses in our history I've liked less

So who on our team were you expecting to contribute? You say most of the injuries are to people we were not expecting much from. Well, Buck has been basically injured all year, playing on a bad knee limiting him to 57 games in CF, yes an additional 34 at DH, but he is, when healthy best defender in CF. Pretty sure we had high hopes for him contributing. How about Polonco? He was our MVP last year, and he has been hurt on the IL a couple of times playing about 100 games, but clearly some of them he was hurt, not sure why we would not be counting him. Oh how about Royce Lewis, many expected he would do something this year at some point. How about Sano, he missed the full year. I am pretty sure we were expecting high offense from either Larnach or AK, both missing most of the year, and AK was hurt even in the games he mainly did play. Jeffers was expected to be starter, yes his offense was down even before hurt, but he was heating up. So two of our starting OF missed large amounts of games, and a backup. Our expected starting 1b missed full year basically, and his back up. Our 2nd baseman has missed games as well. I guess you were just expecting CC to carry us all year and no of the other starters were expected to much. Pitching, we did have large amounts of health there, but did lose two of our starters miss most of the season in Paddock and Ober. Also, Winder after doing well then missed large amounts. I will agree they were not expected to be much, and the pen did blow many games, but had our offense that was carried by a rookie and a guy that was our super utility guy that many wanted to cut coming into the year and a light hitting bat master. But the main guys that would be expected to hit in the middle of line up all missed plenty of games.

For as frustrating as this year has been it has been a lot more fun than last year. Being completely out of it after the first month of the season made last year really hard to be excited about Twins baseball at all. At least with the fast start and being in it until late in the season games had meaning. So while the results were the same I enjoyed this years team much more than last years. We need much better pitching to compete in the division and the playoffs though. So I hope the arms we have stay\get healthy and that young arms develop otherwise this team is going no where next year either.

The injury issues with this team are really confusing, both in terms of the sheer number of injuries and the way they seem to drag on without getting better, and as you noted, the timelines for return seem to get extended and extended. Let's be clear, some injuries, like what Lewis suffered, are bound to happen, and I am not an expert by any means, but I think the FO should review what is going on with the medical and training staff to make sure everything is being done to keep and get our players healthy.

It was great to see SWR step up in AAA and perform. Have great expectations for him.

Nice win for Gray. Unfortunately it's too little, too late. It's nice to see them making hay against the Royals - too bad they didn't do it against teams like Detroit, Texas, and LAA, when the race started heating up back in July/August. Still down by 5 games, Twins need a win today and almost certainly need to take 4-5 in Cleveland to keep the season alive.

Pennant drive continues!

It’ll be interesting to see if anyone claims him. He’s a high floor, low ceiling pitcher when healthy. He would get a lot more opportunity on a rebuilding team like Pittsburgh or Oakland.

We are a mid market team. To compete with the larger market teams, we must do some things under the manager/coaching staff’s areas of responsibility extremely well and, hopefully, much better than others. Those include: 1. Playing/managing strong fundamental baseball day in and day out. 2. Have strong team chemistry - confidence and camaraderie. 3. Continue to develop young players once they make the big leagues. (A number 4. is health - keeping your players on the field. I’m not sure whose responsibility that is - coaching staff or FO. Either way, it’s been a disaster obviously). Objectively, how has the this staff under Rocco performed in these areas? 1. We have never played strong fundamental baseball under Rocco. Never. Also, no one would ever call Rocco a strong in-game manager. Sure, he’s had his moments, but overall, it’s not his forte. 2. No playoff victories. We just went 1-13 vs. the Dodgers, Astros, Yankees, and Guardians over the past month or so in the midst of a pennant race. Camaraderie? Perhaps. Confidence? None. Rocco has not been able to get his teams past the mental block of being able to compete with the better teams. 3. Which young Twins under Rocco have developed to their potential? Certainly the jury is still out on a couple, notably Miranda and Gordon (trend is positive). But how many more have stagnated or failed? If you want to consistently win, you must have your young talent continue to improve and get the most out of them - I’m not sure I see the track record of that under Rocco. Rocco has won more games than lost. No doubt, he has done a lot of good things. The question is: is he the guy to deliver a consistent contender for a Pennant? Unless he substantively improves in key areas managing/leading a well-positioned mid-market club, the answer is likely (and objectively) no.

Yes, pretty nice

Squirrel never went in for that new fangled music.

Time for this team to put some wins together and show us something. Win tonight and then go into Cleve and get back what they lost last weekend.

I'll join the small crowd for the game thread. I might not have a lot to add but I'll be following along. Sanchez and Gordon hit HR's tonight...maybe even see a big hustle on a Jake cave triple! Twins 7 Royals 2. Go Twins!!

I know everybody hates Gary Sanchez because he had the audacity to not be an MVP while stealing plate appearances from uber elite dreamy Ryan Jeffers... but Sanchez is at 32% caught stealing this year vs. MLB average 25%. He's above average in pop time and throwing strength and his throws are on target. Sanchez is a bit above average for his career as well. He throws out quite a few base runners. That aside, I like the pitch clock the most. It's so desperately needed at this point. Picking up the base at MLB games will make them a lot more fun to watch and attend.

Can we trade the Dodgers/Blue Jay games for a few more KC games? I am glad we are padding our stats and beating the Royals, but how difficult it must me for the KC fans!