Notebook: Andrelton Simmons Arrives

Great news that Simmons is in camp!

Amazing how badly Dyson fooled Falvey et al. 

Does he even count as a Twins' reliever?

Not in my book.

People will never let the Uber stint go when it comes to Dobnak.

Something so irrelevant. The Uber Driver.

I've been very encouraged on progress of the players. The starting rotation has been wonderful, Berrios, Maeda, Shoemaker, Thorpe and Dobnak (even not having Simmons or Donaldson in the lineup). Pineda and Happ haven't pitched yet hope they do well. The starting line-up has done well, just think when they are all together. The players that are vying for the extra spots (Broxton, Garlic, Rooker, Astudillo and Lin) are doing well; Broxton seems more relaxed and more disciplined at the plate. Initially the relievers are having difficulty but they are working it out. But most of all Simmons is in camp. When everyone gets their ABs and the team start playing together, look out!

Great news that Simmons is in camp!

 

Amazing how badly Dyson fooled Falvey et al. 

Does he even count as a Twins' reliever?

Not in my book.

 

People will never let the Uber stint go when it comes to Dobnak.

Something so irrelevant. The Uber Driver.

Disagree. The Uber Driver is the epitome of the American Dream; a little guy works his fanny off, takes advantage of whatever opportunity he can get and makes it to the Bigs. It's the modern version of the Natural. Inspirational for the millions of "little guys" out there and the sort of story that draws fans to baseball. Given the poor job MLB has done attracting new fans over the last dozen years they should pump this story for all its worth.

Hell, I'd create a TV ad for it; Do a windshield shot of Dobnak behind the wheel, picking up some young couple, schmoozing with them on the drive to the stadium; he drops the couple off at the ticket window, drives around to the player's entrance and climbs out of the car in his spikes and Twins uniform, picks up his glove, tugs on his baseball cap and winks at the camera and says "Baseball. America's game."

Disagree. The Uber Driver is the epitome of the American Dream; a little guy works his fanny off, takes advantage of whatever opportunity he can get and makes it to the Bigs. It's the modern version of the Natural. Inspirational for the millions of "little guys" out there and the sort of story that draws fans to baseball. Given the poor job MLB has done attracting new fans over the last dozen years they should pump this story for all its worth.

 

Hell, I'd create a TV ad for it; Do a windshield shot of Dobnak behind the wheel, picking up some young couple, schmoozing with them on the drive to the stadium; he drops the couple off at the ticket window, drives around to the player's entrance and climbs out of the car in his spikes and Twins uniform, picks up his glove, tugs on his baseball cap and winks at the camera and says "Baseball. America's game."

Great ad Dave.

I don't worry too much about early Spring games. It really doesn't count until the final week. I get to watch the Twins today as MLB will carry the game though the weather is iffy. I really want the Angels to get Odorizzi but I guess they aren't interested. I picked them and the Phillies as my surprise teams this year but both still need pitching.

The best news of spring has been how dominant the starters have been first time out. Now lets see them keep doing it all the way into the season.

Assume that there hasn't been any talk about teams or the league signing a deal with JNJ or one of the others to get their entire team vaccinated before breaking camp. With the availability of vaccines getting much better, has anyone heard any talk of that?

Disagree. The Uber Driver is the epitome of the American Dream; a little guy works his fanny off, takes advantage of whatever opportunity he can get and makes it to the Bigs. It's the modern version of the Natural. Inspirational for the millions of "little guys" out there and the sort of story that draws fans to baseball. Given the poor job MLB has done attracting new fans over the last dozen years they should pump this story for all its worth.

 

Hell, I'd create a TV ad for it; Do a windshield shot of Dobnak behind the wheel, picking up some young couple, schmoozing with them on the drive to the stadium; he drops the couple off at the ticket window, drives around to the player's entrance and climbs out of the car in his spikes and Twins uniform, picks up his glove, tugs on his baseball cap and winks at the camera and says "Baseball. America's game."

I like your romantic imagery, I really do - however misguided it is. Your advert would be a lie. Have you ever driven for ride share? I have. Both Uber and Lyft to write about it. Cheap demanding riders. Folks too cheap to get a cab, and still don't tip well. In fact, most don't tip at all. They get in your car and act like they own it instead of they are lucky to get to ride in it for 1/4 to 1/5 the price of a cab. The Uber Driver, after expenses of paying their own maintanence, gas, and costs, make, if they are lucky, about $7. per hour, and get no benefits. The riders can rate drivers "not professional" and the platform wants you to be "professional". But get real. There is no training required, and drivers are just people that have a car and you don't or don't want to use it. The Uber Driver is not even close to the American Dream. It is an example of the system taking advantage of the product, the driver, and the driver's having no union to protect their rights or stand up for them. Not even close to the American Dream. Sad that many think it is. Before you call it "the epitome of the American Dream", you might want to take the drivers' seat for a month of 30-40 hours a week, and then see what you consider the truth.

I like your romantic imagery, I really do - however misguided it is. Your advert would be a lie. Have you ever drove for ride share? I have. Both Uber and Lyft to write about it. Cheap demanding riders. Folks too cheap to get a cab, and still don't tip well. In fact, most don't tip at all. They get in your car and act like they own it instead of they are lucky to get to ride in it for 1/4 to 1/5 the price of a cab. The Uber Driver, after expenses of paying their own maintanence, gas, and costs, make, if they are lucky, about $7. per hour, and get no benefits. The riders can rate drivers "not professional" and the platform wants you to be "professional". But get real. There is no training required, and drivers are just people that have a car and you don't or don't want to use it. The Uber Driver is not even close to the American Dream. It is an example of the system taking advantage of the product, the driver, and the driver's having no union to protect their rights or stand up for them. Not even close to the American Dream. Sad that many think it is. Before you call it "the epitome of the American Dream", you might want to take the drivers' seat for a month of 30-40 hours a week, and then see what you consider the truth.

Sorry, but in no way am I praising Uber. I'm praising the idea that it's still possible for the little guy to advance from a low-end, low-paying job and make it to the top of whatever career he's pursuing if he keeps plugging away at it. I shoveled a lot of chicken manure for a large corporation while in high school so I could go to college. No way am I praising manure shoveling as the American Dream. But the idea that a chicken manure-shoveler can become a college grad... the first in his family to do so, that's the American Dream.

A man's gotta do what you gotta do, hopefully only temporarily, if you wanna do what you wanna do. That's the message behind the Dobnak story.

PS. My MLB ad wouldn't mention either ride-sharing company. The ad would be about promoting baseball, not rip-off ride-sharing.

I don't need an ad (although I love the concept of the ad) to love Dobnak. No story line in 2019 was more compelling than minor leaguer setting wedding date well beyond his end of season and yet... Get's through 4 levels of competition and is pitching a post-season game in the majors. Hollywood can't write that. I hope he has a nice 5 year run with the Twins and has an imprint on a couple of big games (in a good way) Austudilllo was fun, Dobnak is a player. Wish both the best.

Broxton putting up impressive spring.  I doubt he breaks with the team, but he may get another team interested in him.