Minor League Report (6/6): Salvaging the Sweep

“The Bats scored three runs as Tom Hackimer walked six in the fourth.”

I figured that HAD to be a typo, right? So, I looked up the box score. How does this happen? I know the league is developmental, but come on! You’d figure simple professional accountability (not to mention basic curtesy) to Hackimer himself, the players in the field, and the paying customers, would prohibit the 5th, let alone the 6th, walk from happening. In what universe can that be rationalized, Toby?

2 minutes ago, Seth Stohs said:

Guys need to find a way to find it... but once he was over 30 pitches for the inning, he was done. 

How’d that work out? You aren’t suggesting Gardenhire would have left him in the game if he hadn’t hit the pitch limit, are you?

Hackimer threw 4 strait balls to walk the bases loaded (third walk of the inning). Threw 4 strait balls to walk in the first run. Walked in the second run on a 3-1 count. Highly questionable. Left him in to pitch to yet another batter, to whom he threw a wild pitch before walking. Inexcusable, IMO.

The frustration in the majors with injuries and poor performances is having a domino effect and the minors.  

Interesting seeing the name of Ernie De La Trinidad appear in these write-ups of late.  Checked and learned he has one of the top averages on the team together with a mid-.800 OPS.  Remember that he was part of one of those trades made during that busy late July period a few years ago.  Other than what I have just written, I know nothing about him.  Is he a prospect that has a legitimate chance of making it to the Twins someday?  Or will it be a long shot for him to do so?  

Wait... The Twins have a left-handed SP prospect? How did that happen?

10 hours ago, jkcarew said:

How’d that work out? You aren’t suggesting Gardenhire would have left him in the game if he hadn’t hit the pitch limit, are you?

Hackimer threw 4 strait balls to walk the bases loaded (third walk of the inning). Threw 4 strait balls to walk in the first run. Walked in the second run on a 3-1 count. Highly questionable. Left him in to pitch to yet another batter, to whom he threw a wild pitch before walking. Inexcusable, IMO.

A "strait" is a narrow body of water between two or more segments of land.  Perhaps you meant "straight"???

I admit Jose Miranda was not on my radar before this year. His past numbers weren't jumping out but he seems to limit K's and showed a little pop. Is the breakout this year making sense or looking legit? What are the expectations for him? He looks like the only promising bat in the system after Kiriloff, Larnach, and Lewis (who I have Buxton-like concerns about with figuring out his swing...) so it would be huge if he panned out and could hold down the hot corner.

42 minutes ago, Taildragger8791 said:

I admit Jose Miranda was not on my radar before this year. His past numbers weren't jumping out but he seems to limit K's and showed a little pop. Is the breakout this year making sense or looking legit? What are the expectations for him? He looks like the only promising bat in the system after Kiriloff, Larnach, and Lewis (who I have Buxton-like concerns about with figuring out his swing...) so it would be huge if he panned out and could hold down the hot corner.

Agree.  Lewis and Miranda panning out would be huge for this team even if Lewis ends up in CF.

11 hours ago, jkcarew said:

How’d that work out? You aren’t suggesting Gardenhire would have left him in the game if he hadn’t hit the pitch limit, are you?

Hackimer threw 4 strait balls to walk the bases loaded (third walk of the inning). Threw 4 strait balls to walk in the first run. Walked in the second run on a 3-1 count. Highly questionable. Left him in to pitch to yet another batter, to whom he threw a wild pitch before walking. Inexcusable, IMO.

Not sure why we're up in arms about a minor league game where the result 100% does not matter, but just from looking at the box score it is clear this was a bullpen game for the Saints. The Twins have had a lot of moving pieces on the pitching staff, which in turn means the Saints have had a lot of moving pieces on their pitching staff. Maybe Toby Gardenhire didn't want to have a quick hook on a guy when he already knew he would be using a big chunk of his bullpen that day. Maybe the Saints didn't have many options at pitcher because of previous days and all the moving pieces.

12 hours ago, jkcarew said:

“The Bats scored three runs as Tom Hackimer walked six in the fourth.”

I figured that HAD to be a typo, right? So, I looked up the box score. How does this happen? I know the league is developmental, but come on! You’d figure simple professional accountability (not to mention basic curtesy) to Hackimer himself, the players in the field, and the paying customers, would prohibit the 5th, let alone the 6th, walk from happening. In what universe can that be rationalized, Toby?

# The ball was coming out of his hand real good and his pitches had excellent movement. Advanced metrics showed that any day now he would actually throw a strike.

6 hours ago, roger said:

Interesting seeing the name of Ernie De La Trinidad appear in these write-ups of late.  Checked and learned he has one of the top averages on the team together with a mid-.800 OPS.  Remember that he was part of one of those trades made during that busy late July period a few years ago.  Other than what I have just written, I know nothing about him.  Is he a prospect that has a legitimate chance of making it to the Twins someday?  Or will it be a long shot for him to do so?  

He was the final piece in the Escobar trade, he was seen as a lotto ticket, but you could bump him up to low-tier prospect. Still a fringe bench bat at best, probably. 

6 hours ago, Taildragger8791 said:

I admit Jose Miranda was not on my radar before this year. His past numbers weren't jumping out but he seems to limit K's and showed a little pop. Is the breakout this year making sense or looking legit? What are the expectations for him? He looks like the only promising bat in the system after Kiriloff, Larnach, and Lewis (who I have Buxton-like concerns about with figuring out his swing...) so it would be huge if he panned out and could hold down the hot corner.

Gleeman has reported a couple of times that Miranda is the prospect name that always comes up when he asks for a guy in the minors that people should get to know. Twins staff has been high on him for a while. Real possibility that his tools have come together in a way that applies on the field. Still early, but he's setting himself up to rise (eventual 3B replacement for Donaldson?). If he's able to control the strike zone and do damage on balls in the zone while limiting Ks like this, he'll be a nice prospect. Curious about his D.

On 6/7/2021 at 11:01 AM, Tibs said:

Not sure why we're up in arms about a minor league game where the result 100% does not matter, but just from looking at the box score it is clear this was a bullpen game for the Saints. The Twins have had a lot of moving pieces on the pitching staff, which in turn means the Saints have had a lot of moving pieces on their pitching staff. Maybe Toby Gardenhire didn't want to have a quick hook on a guy when he already knew he would be using a big chunk of his bullpen that day. Maybe the Saints didn't have many options at pitcher because of previous days and all the moving pieces.

 

How about because Hackimer is a human being? A manager letting a player fail is one thing. Letting him fail spectacularly, is another.

And the next day the organization releases him.

Classy.