Four Opening Day Overreactions

It didn't take long to see why the Twins should be signing top Free Agent Pitchers like Robbie Ray. 

Lasorda's old quote is spot on. I'm paraphrasing, but basically he said...no matter how good they are, a team is going to lose a third of their games, and no matter how bad they are, a team is going to win a third of their games. It's the other third that makes the difference. Let's see where this team is after 50-60 games. It would have been nice if Buxton and/or Correa delivered with guys on base yesterday, but today's another day. 

As another old saying goes - "It just one game!"  It will be May before we really know any of these things.  Let's hope it is a good April!

Didn't Rocco's Cyber-Metrics binder that he stares at in the dugout tell him to hit for Kiriloff in the 9th? The kid was lost at the plate. 3 K's! Otherwise good game.

Call me old school (or something just as nice), but I come from a generation where a 4 inning start would not be considered a good start, opening day or not.  And please don't compare it to Ray's start.  70 pitches and 4 innings isn't anywhere close to 96 pitches and 7 innings, but it was also as predictable as the weather forecast.  Go back a few days to the game Ober pitched in ST.  4 innings and less than 60 pitches compared to Boston's starter who went 6 and 82 or so pitches in his final tune up.  This is a manager and/or team that will never change its philosophy on babying pitchers, so the entire season is going to rest on the BP, and that scares me with Rogers gone now.  We are likely, and I emphasize likely, going to have more better days at the plate than this, but fewer days like this from the BP.  When the bats catch up to the pitching the entire league over we won't be throwing up too many 5 inning shutout days from the pen over a long and shortened season.  I know I am consistently a minority voice on this subject, but the starters HAVE to start stepping up, especially when they are sharp.  Enough of the pitch count crap; let the guys own their game instead of being a glorified long reliever.  Joe should have been allowed to continue.  

Good game. A little more life or lift on that last flyball out and it’s a walkoff. 

45 minutes ago, MGM4706 said:

Didn't Rocco's Cyber-Metrics binder that he stares at in the dugout tell him to hit for Kiriloff in the 9th? The kid was lost at the plate. 3 K's! Otherwise good game.

I say this somewhat tongue in cheek, but you are assuming Rocco is managing this team; a case could be made that the computer algorithm is.  

Remember the days when the manager would stand on the top step of the dugout and watch intently every pitch and every play?  Me too.  Remember the days when the manager would sit in the dugout behind a protective screen and play with his computer printouts before making a call?  Yea, me neither.  Again, I say it somewhat tongue in cheek, but only somewhat; I miss those days.  

1 hour ago, MGM4706 said:

Didn't Rocco's Cyber-Metrics binder that he stares at in the dugout tell him to hit for Kiriloff in the 9th? The kid was lost at the plate. 3 K's! Otherwise good game.

welp, this looks like it's going to be the Big Overreaction From One Game: "Rocco is the worst! Rocco can't coach my kid's little league team! Rocco isn't a manager, just spits out results from a computer!"

Already bored with this take.

14 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

welp, this looks like it's going to be the Big Overreaction From One Game: "Rocco is the worst! Rocco can't coach my kid's little league team! Rocco isn't a manager, just spits out results from a computer!"

Already bored with this take.

I was going to post that I WOULDN'T let Rocco coach my kid's little league team, but I don't want to bore anyone, so I won't.    

But if I were to post that, it would come from a lot more than one game, and even more than one year.  He has been doing it since he rolled into town, and he doesn't believe in any other way, so that is where the sentiment comes from.  I know he has his fans, and that is fine; some people just don't cotton to that kind of managing.  Nothing wrong with that either.  If we all agreed on everything, this site wouldn't be any fun.    

Remember when Kirilloff was touted as a hitting machine and then looked like it when he was first called up.   Then a sore wrist was blamed for his reduced production at the plate.   Now that it’s healed, we were going to see the real Alex Kirilloff.    I hope it’s just that he was overmatched by the Cy Young winning Robbie Ray.  It was tough watching him yesterday. 

Seems like some genuine overreactions on Kirilloff from one game against one of the best lefties in the league.

I think he might have a slow start, he is one of a few guys that I don't think was quite dialed in by the end of spring training. However, he's not going to be a super high strikeout guy, and he'll most likely be a pretty good hitter.

I keep wanting to see this team elevate their game and make something happen at the plate and on the basepaths. They were a slugging team last year, and started sluggish yesterday. Unlike 2021, the bullpen gave them every chance to win. At home for the opener, that's a game they absolutely should have won.

BUT ... they nearly did. So here's hoping this was just some residual "bad luck" from last year, and today's result is different.

Here's my overreaction though: KLaw was right - Joe Ryan's fastball is going to get hammered into the seats, and it will keep him from being more than a #4-#5 starter on a good team.

I really think you've got to consider cool temperatures as a major factor in this low scoring season opener.

I live in Toronto, and the roof was closed at the Rogers Centre, so I think the temp is 72 degrees F.

And just as an aside in the game here, Jose Berrios (whoa!) and Mitch Garver (wow!)

1 hour ago, Mark G said:

Call me old school (or something just as nice), but I come from a generation where a 4 inning start would not be considered a good start, opening day or not.  And please don't compare it to Ray's start.  70 pitches and 4 innings isn't anywhere close to 96 pitches and 7 innings, but it was also as predictable as the weather forecast.  Go back a few days to the game Ober pitched in ST.  4 innings and less than 60 pitches compared to Boston's starter who went 6 and 82 or so pitches in his final tune up.  This is a manager and/or team that will never change its philosophy on babying pitchers, so the entire season is going to rest on the BP, and that scares me with Rogers gone now.  We are likely, and I emphasize likely, going to have more better days at the plate than this, but fewer days like this from the BP.  When the bats catch up to the pitching the entire league over we won't be throwing up too many 5 inning shutout days from the pen over a long and shortened season.  I know I am consistently a minority voice on this subject, but the starters HAVE to start stepping up, especially when they are sharp.  Enough of the pitch count crap; let the guys own their game instead of being a glorified long reliever.  Joe should have been allowed to continue.  

After the 2 strange seasons, that sounds like a recipe for injured pitchers...

It sure would have been nice had that last flyball gone another what, three feet?  But win or lose, it is one game, one of 162.

I came out of the afternoon excited about two players, really excited.  One was Duran.  Holy Cow, what an arm.  Yes, one game doesn't make a career, but this kid could/should be special.

My second point is that Luis Arraez reminded us, especially those clamoring for him to be traded, that he also is special.  Will give you an excellent at bat nearly every time he steps into the box.  Gotta drive the opposing pitcher/team crazy as he battles deep into each at bat.  I don't know about others, but I want this young man both healthy and in the Twins lineup about 150 times a year.  Perhaps keeping him out of the outfield will help with those knees. 

3 hours ago, rv78 said:

It didn't take long to see why the Twins should be signing top Free Agent Pitchers like Robbie Ray. 

That's right.  Not an overreaction number 1, us not signing Robby Ray to the deal he got from Seattle.  

Here is my overaction - Twins got the better of the Berrios trade.  I mean just look at Jose's line from yesterday!  Gotta love that ERA!

1 hour ago, AlGoreRythm said:

After the 2 strange seasons, that sounds like a recipe for injured pitchers...

I guess to me it sounds like a recipe for keeping 16 pitchers and only having a 3 man bench.  After Arraez, who was there left to pinch hit any better than the Kirilloff match up?  Celestino?  Or one of the other 11 pitchers?  

I wish I could say I understand the argument for short starts and 8-12 man bullpens, if you count the shuttle bus between Target Field and St. Paul, but I am struggling in that area.  We just don't have 16 major league caliber pitchers; do we not have any major league ready players either?  I think we just might, and if the starters were allowed to be starters, maybe we could bring a couple of them up and see.  If a starter is going to be inured by throwing more than 70 pitches................I guess that debate will be ongoing.  

Going out on a limb and saying that angst about Berrios is an overreaction.

Gee, Simmons is gone and the Twins still cannot hit.

2 hours ago, RpR said:

Gee, Simmons is gone and the Twins still cannot hit.

It's almost as if Simmons wasn't a problem.  It IS, however, only two games.

Anybody miss James Rowson yet?

Jeter and Mattingly sure wanted him badly enough to lure him to Florida. I still wonder how hard the Twins tried to hang on to him.

Duran's debut was exciting. Maybe some more of these young guns are close to ready.