thuuuuney

A friend of mine passed away over the holiday weekend.
 
We had attended high school together, were distant friends through college, and spent two years as roommates back in the cities after that.
 
When we lived together, he was attending culinary school and the roommates would have the benefit of eating food that is normally not accessible to broke post-college kids trying to repay student loans. He would concoct four course meals and we were more than happy to be test subjects.
 
We’d declare it the best thing we’ve ever eaten and he, being his own worst critic, would inform us that it was garbage and would vow to make it better next time.
 
He modeled himself a bit after Anthony Bourdain. He had a beat up copy of Kitchen Confidential that he constantly implored me to read. I never did.
 
Eventually the house split up. We went separate ways and saw each other less. Everyone my age or older likely has friendships like that. I had a growing family and he was launching a culinary career that took him to Central America and Alaska for work.
 
The relationship became just a bi-yearly message to each other on Facebook, randomly sharing a couple inside jokes and stupid obscure pop culture references. We exchanged one just the previous week.
 
He sent a one-liner: What are we going to do about this hand twin thing?
 
It came from a Friends episode we watched years ago. He had an ability to bring groups of people together and our house used to host viewing parties during the final seasons. The line, delivered by Joey Tribbiani in the bathroom of a casino, always cracked us up. Sharing innocuous lines like that over the years just let each other know you were thinking about them.
 
I spent most of Sunday night reflecting on our time. I spoke with another roommate of ours who had moved out of state as well. We shared memories of the years we all lived together.
 
I realized how much baseball fandom can imprint on our lives.
 
He once hosted a weekend-long party at his college house in Duluth. It was epic, as the kids would say. Thinking back to the revelry, I also remember slipping away to see Matt Lawton hit two home runs in Cleveland.
 
Another time he went to visit a girl in New York City. He returned with a small panoramic of the old Yankee Stadium that he got at a secondhand shop because he knew how much I despised the Yankees. I still have that picture and I still hate the Yankees.
 
His family would host gatherings at their cabin in northern Minnesota. They were amazingly hospitable people. His mom legitimately made the best sloppy joes. When my daughter wasn’t even a year old, he invited us for a low-key weekend of boating and bonfires. On the drive home, as my little girl slept in the back, I listened to Johan Santana’s 17-strikeout performance on the radio.
 
When the Twins had a weekend series at Wrigley Field, we ran into each other at the Cubby Bear, the bar across the street from the stadium. We took time to share a Cubby Blue Bomb together, update each other on our current lives, and then went back to the separate group of friends we came with into Chicago.
 
The last time we saw each other in person I was handing off tickets to him before a Twins game.
 
We met at The Depot Tavern and played catch up. His seats were on one side of the ballpark and ours were on the other. We vowed to meet on the concourse or somewhere after the game but neither of us followed through.
 
You are not supposed to live with regrets yet we do. I regret not reaching out more, not making an effort to stay connected. I regret not checking in more frequently to hear about his family, fiancee, and other adventures.
 
Thirty-nine is way too young. You feel like you always have more time: There will be some other opportunity to catch up, there will be some other chance to reconnect, or some other time to say those were amazing memories.
 
Looking back, I admired how he followed his passion. We were just becoming functioning adults and he already knew that he wanted to run kitchens and make people happy through food. Someone shared a video of him teaching a culinary class in a Facebook remembrance, making the room laugh in doing so. In a way he did become a version of Bourdain, traveling the world and experiencing cuisine in parts unknown.
 
Maybe now I’ll listen to him and read that book.

The Covid sickness that hit coach Tommy Hottovy created a memorable video https://www.espn.com/mlb/ as he discussed his case - it is good to watch since so many act like the Covid-19 is just another flu. As the TD contributor Doctor Gast states - the video is mostly about the pain of separation. Should you want to know more about the survival from this virus you might want to read this San Francisco report - https://www.sfgate.com/news/editorspicks/article/What-they-don-t-tell-you-about-surviving-15347792.php or this description of the Brain Fog that comes after the virus by the American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/09/aftermath-covid-19. The choices of Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman and Jo Ross not to play should be applauded for their courage just as the Twins decision to protect their oldest coaches was wise and prudent. As much as I want to see and read about baseball I do not want to read about tragedies.
 
When we are young we all make poor decisions based on our own sense of mortality. I made climbs, ran rapids, and pushed the envelop thinking that nothing could happen to me. My son, at age 21 did the same thing, and he died as a result. Age does not protect us. Nor does physical fitness. This is a serious time and now we learn that there is a new swine flu that might follow Covid. It is frightening. And maybe time to remember how we can be chopped down by microscopic organisms in the prime of our life.
 
Baseball players are constantly facing injury - concussions, thoracic injuries, Tommy John surgery, broken bones. The good thing about them is that they heal. Bad backs ruined careers and freak accidents like the gas that Christy Mathewson was exposed to during training. His respiratory system was weakened and resulted in contracting tuberculosis, from which he died in Saranac Lake, New York in 1925. He was only 45. Tuberculosis also took seven other players who are mostly lost to memory because their careers were too short and too long ago.
 
We watched drugs ruin careers like Doc Gooden and Daryl Strawberry, two more who had a HOF path ahead of them. And Sandy Koufax had his amazing career stopped at its peak because of arthritis. Like so many elderly people I can only relate too well to the pain that he suffered from this debilitating disease.
 
I remember when J R Richards suffered a stroke and had to leave the field. This great Astros pitcher seemed like a sure HOF player, a person who would hold all the Astros records - he averaged 16 wins per season his first five years. In 1980 he was 10 - 4 with a 1.90 era and he was in magnificent physical condition. In two years he was homeless and sleeping under a bridge. He went on to the ministry and preached to those same homeless individuals. It was a big fall from the top.
 
Jimmy Piersall suffered from mental illness and a potentially great career was ruined by bipolar disorder and still he was so good he managed 17 years.
 
When it comes to disease what baseball fan does not know of Lou Gehrig and ALS - now called Lou Gehrig Disease. The Iron Horse was toppled and dead at age 38. He seemed invincible but disease does not avoid the strong and healthy.
 
Ross Youngs died at age 30 of Brights Disease (a kidney disease). He played 10 years with a 322 BA.
 
Dave Parker, former Pirate and one of my favorite players lives with Parkinson's disease a serious and long term disease that impacts so many aspects of your body functions. Kirk Gibson lives with Parkinsons and Dee Gordon plays baseball with it. But this is serious and life changing.
 
HOF pitcher Addie Joss from Wisconsin attended St. Mary's College (later part of Wyalusing Academy) in Prairie du Chien and the University of Wisconsin. "In April 1911, Joss became ill and he died the same month due to tuberculous meningitis. He finished his career with 160 wins, 234 complete games, 45 shutouts and 920 strikeouts."
 
Wikipedia provided this list of type 1 diabetes sufferers from MLB
Ron Santo, Chicago Cubs (1960–1973) and Chicago White Sox (1974) infielder, type 1, deceased (2010 at age 70).
Sam Fuld, Chicago Cubs (2007–2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011–2013), and Oakland Athletics (2014–) outfielder, type 1.[13]
Mark Lowe, Seattle Mariners (2006–2010, 2015), Texas Rangers (2010–2012), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013), Cleveland Indians (2014), Toronto Blue Jays (2015), and Detroit Tigers (2016–) pitcher, type 1.[14]
Brandon Morrow, Seattle Mariners (2007–2009) and Toronto Blue Jays (2010–2014) pitcher, type 1.[14]
Dustin McGowan, Toronto Blue Jays (2005–2008, 2011, 2013–2014), Philadelphia Phillies (2015), and Miami Marlins (2016–) pitcher, type 1.
Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–1956), type 2, deceased (1972 at age 53).
Bill Gullickson, Montreal Expos (1979–1994), type 1[15]
Adam Duvall, Cincinnati Reds (2015–), Type 1
James "Catfish" Hunter, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1965-1974) and New York Yankees (1975-1979) pitcher, type 1, deceased (1999 at age 53 of ALS)

There are more stories of Alzheimer's that may have come from concussions, cancers, and other, but finally, we should look to the Spanish Flu - "the flu took: Cy Swain, a minor leaguer from 1904 to 1914 who slugged 39 home runs in 1913; Larry Chappell, a big league outfielder for the White Sox, Indians and Boston Braves between 1913 and 1917; catcher Leo McGraw, a minor leaguer between 1910 and 1916; catcher Harry Glenn, a minor leaguer from 1910 to 1918 who spent time with the 1915 Cardinals; minor league pitcher Dave Roth, who played between 1912 and 1916; and minor league pitcher Harry Acton, who played in 1917." https://baseballhall.org/discover/1918-flu-pandemic-didnt-spare-baseball
 
The Twins have their own tragic stories too - Danny Thompson, a promising shortstop was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 26, in 1973. He played four more seasons and died ten weeks after his final game. Walter Bond - died of Leukemia in the closing weeks of the 1967 baseball season — a year during which he had made the Twins' roster coming out of spring training. Wikipedia entry says this about the end - "Bond made the team and batted .313 in part-time duty during the season's first month. But the Twins released him on May 15, and although Bond caught on with the Jacksonville Suns, his declining health forced him to the sidelines after only three games.[2] He entered a Houston hospital for treatment, but died there at age 29. Said his physician, Dr. Hatch Cummings: "He showed the strength of character and will that only champions possess. It was an exhibition of courage, and in the best tradition of baseball."
 
We want baseball, but we can live without it if it comes down to a threat to players health and lives.

We're a couple days away from Summer Camp opening up for the Twins and the rest of Major League Baseball, I can't wait for the shirts, and we're about 25 days away from Opening Day pending the official schedule release, so I thought it fitting to make my prediction about how the season will unfold for Minnesota. Everybody and their mom have done Virtual seasons, from Aaron Gleeman managing the club on OOTP Baseball, to Ted Schwerzler posting post-game reports on Twitter daily, to myself managing the Twins but also calling every game on MLB The Show, there's been a lot to follow here on Twins Daily.
 
I'm 23 years old and I can honestly say this has felt like the highest expectations for the Twins in my lifetime. Currently on Oddshark.com, the Twins are tied for 5th with the 2019 World Champs for the highest odds to win the World Series.


https://www.oddsshark.com/mlb/world-series-odds

This basis for the Twins success in those odds isn't all based on last year's historic season either. From adding arms like Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Homer Bailey, and Tyler Clippard to one of the splashiest moves this off-season in acquiring the Bringer of Rain Josh Donaldson, the feeling throughout Twins Territory is that this team has a chance to have us partying on Nicolette Ave. come October (if we can even have parades by then). But how have those free-agent moves panned out for the Virtual Twins? Let's take a look and that and more through the first 60 games.
 
Firstly let's take a look at some of those Free-Agent acquisitions and how they have panned out:
Josh Donaldson: After starting the season with an 11 game hitting streak, the Bringer or Rain ran into a drought at the plate for Minnesota. After 60 games Donaldson was batting .250, 6 HR, 18 RBI, and was 2nd last among the tradition starting nine for Minnesota in RBI's (Arraez in last with 9 RBI's). Donaldson's bat has picked up some in late June but for the purposes of this outlook I'm only examining the first 60 games which goes to show how weird this season is going to be.
https://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/clip/OutstandingDoubtfulEmuPeteZaroll

Kenta Maeda: Throughout calling games for the Virtual Twins one of my favorite players to examine has been Maeda. in 54.2 IP, Kenta had racked up 83 K's and would have him registered with the highest K/9 in baseball except for the fact that he wouldn't qualify in regards to innings pitched. From his most dazzling performance against Oakland where he racked up 14 K's, to a 2.96 ERA, Maeda has been just what the doctor ordered for a reliable starter in the middle of the Twins rotation.
http://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/clip/OutstandingDoubtfulEmuPeteZaroll

Homer Bailey: Before COVID-19 a talking point among Twins fans was how there was pitching to back up some notable starters who were still months away from joining the club like Michael Pineda and Rich Hill. Those pitchers included Jhoulys Chacin and Homer Bailey who were viewed as stop gap starters to hold the fort until reinforcements arrived, but in the Virtual season, Bailey was making a case to be the Twins ace. Through starting the year as a LRP and then being moved to the starting rotation after a rough open by Devin Smeltzer, Homer Bailey had the 2nd best ERA in the American League behind Gerrit Cole at 2.01 in 78.1 IP and despite the strikeout totals being significantly less than Maeda at 50, Bailey was missing bats and leading the Twins staff. A talking point among pitchers for Minnesota is how much Wes Johnson has helped in their development, could the same happen this real season to find whatever is left from Bailey's tenured arm?

Next, let's take a look at the AL Central Standings through 60 games and pillage through the rough to find out meaningful information:


First of all in the Virtual season the Twins repeated as AL Central Champs (hooray!) but there are differences to how the real season will be played. 40 of the 60 games are against the division and extrapolating the data from the Division category the Twins would've gone 25-15 against the division in a 60 game season, meaning going .500 against the NL Central would more than likely guarantee a playoff spot. But as you can see minus a game the Indians had essentially the same record against the division so in theory it would be a tight race for the Central. This season is going to be 37% the normal size of a regular season so each game will feel immensely more important, it will be a tough race indeed for Minnesota.
 
Before closing with notable stats for the Twin's starting nine, I wanted to share some highlights we will sadly be missing this year due to the schedule realignment. We will first of all miss pitcher's batting with the Universal DH, so enjoy what could've been with Jose Berrios getting his first career RBI double (yes you read that right).
https://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/clip/BitterSpoopyMarjoramBrainSlug

Who knows what the postseason will entail, but we will miss the Twins playing the Yankees in the regular season, so enjoy Max Kepler completely dismantling the Bronx Bombers in New York.
https://www.twitch.tv/thuuuuney/clip/KnottyDreamyHamYee

Finally, at least for the start of the year, we will miss being at Target Field. Moments like when baseball starts will still be special, but will be significantly different without fans in the stands.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/583432621

Finally let's take a look at the starting nine you can expect on day one for Minnesota and what their stats may look like come the end of the season


Garver building off his silver slugger (at the time of game 60 he lead the MLB in Slg and OPS), Nelson Cruz not showing any signs of regression, Kepler and Sano flourishing in their prime, there are a lot of reasons to be excited as Twins fans. This season will be different than any other we've ever had and even though I hate the extra innings rule for a runner at 2nd, we should embrace the weird and enjoy, from what we can gather from the Virtual Twins, what looks to be a seemingly unforgettable year for Minnesota.
 
For those who want to follow along with the finale of my Virtual Twins project, you can keep updated here in the megathread.
http://twinsdaily.com/topic/37528-virtual-twins-baseball-megathread/

Also the plan moving forward for this project will go as follows: Sim to the playoffs on June 5th, Wild Card/ALDS July 5th-9th, if Twins make it, ALCS July 10th-14th, and finally if they make it, The World Series from July 19th-22nd/23rd depending on what the official start date is for the Twins, and it all can be followed at the Virtual Twins network, http://twitch.tv/thuuuuney.

Today was finally the day. June 23, 2020 was the day when the Major League Baseball Players Association and Major League Baseball got on the same page. The announcement was simple, play ball. Now that we have that out of the way, what does it all look like?
 
We're going to have a 60 game schedule, and that means that each team will play 40 games against their traditional division with another 20 coming against the geographic counterpart from the other league. Minnesota gets the NL Central which included just one team breaking the 90-win plateau in 2019, and two finishing below .500.
 
There's going to be a significant amount of rule changes or modifications. The regular season will run from July 24 through September 26. Below you can find a bulleted list with a link to each report:
Universal DH
Runner will begin on 2B to start the 10th inning. Runner will be final out from the inning prior.
Taxi squads can consist of up to three players, but one must be a catcher.
COVID-19 specific injured list
Transaction freeze ends Friday 6/26 at 12pm ET
Teams will utilize players from a 60 man pool submitted by Sunday 6/28 at 3pm ET
August 31 trade deadline
Players not on 30 man roster (which will be trimmed to 28 and 26) will be at an alternate site
Taxi squad players will not accrue service time or be paid MLB wages
Postseason eligibility requires being in an organization by September 15
Arguing within six feet could result in suspension

We already know there will be no fans. We already know that this entire thing could go up in flames if safety protocols don't end up keeping the virus in a manageable state. What we also know for the first time since March is that there will be baseball. Despite months of horrible public disparagement from both sides, it's once again the game that will attempt to unite us.
 
https://twitter.com/MLBPA_News/status/1275589804990836736
 
This is a season the Minnesota Twins were looking forward to. Names like Josh Donaldson and Kenta Maeda have made their way onto a roster coming off 101 wins a season ago. Sure this is a difficult calendar to compare statistically across previous years, but every single organization is in the same boat now. The goal is still to win a World Series, no matter how different the journey to get there may be.
 
There's certainly less nuance in a 60-game sprint than there is in a 162-game marathon, but the importance of every outing just got ratcheted through the roof. If you want the feel of a one-game Wild Card for the next three months you've got it. Buckle up because this is going to be something like we've never seen before.
 
We've got a week until teams begin Spring Training 2.0 in their home ballparks, but it's official, Play Ball!
 
For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

TWINS 2020 SEASON SIMULATION


 
The Twins have an off day on 4-16-20. I will give a half month update below with plenty of links.
 

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS


Cleveland 17-3
Minnesota 13-6
Kansas City 9-9
Chicago 7-11
Detroit 4-14

The Twins are 11-2 on the road. If we didn't go 2-4 in our first two home series we'd be right up there as the best team in the league thus far with Cleveland. Cleveland is starting out amazingly. They went 10-0 before the Twins gave them their first loss and have been 7-2 since then. Can't get much better than that, and that is why the Twins are 3.5 games behind them. The other AL division leaders are Tampa and Houston with Oakland and MN getting the wild card spots super early in the season. In the NL Philly, Chicago and Colorado are leading their divisions with the Dodgers and Washington taking the early Wild card positions. Link to the standings here: https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/Standings.aspx?OrgID=116202
 

LEAGUE LEADERS


 
Average
AL-------------------------------------------NL
1. Alex Verdugo Bos .473 --------------- 1. Eric Sogard Mil .420
2. Jose Iglesias Bal .387 -----------------2. Howie Kendrick Wash .403
3. Tim Anderson CWS .378 --------------3. Eric Hosmer SD .383
 
OPS
AL-------------------------------------------NL
1. Mike Trout LAA 1.234 -----------------1. Howie Kendrick Wash 1.226
2. Mitch Haniger Sea 1.200 -------------2. Andrew McCutchen Phi 1.163
3. Michael Brantley Hou 1.198 ----------3. Javier Baez ChC 1.110
 
HRs
AL-------------------------------------------NL
1. Max Kepler Min 8---------------------- 1. Aristides Aquino Cin 11
2. Michael Brantley Hou 7 ----------------2. Javier Baez ChC 8
3. 7 players with 6 ------------------------3. Howie Kendrick Wash 7
 
ERA
AL--------------------------------------------NL
1. Aaron Bummer ChW 0.00 --------------1. Stephen Strasburg Wash 0.38
2. Charlie Morton TB 1.23 -----------------2. Anthony DeSclafani Cin 1.63
3. John Means Bal 1.37 -------------------3. Mike Soroka Atl 1.67
 
Strikeouts
AL--------------------------------------------NL
1. Gerrit Cole NYY 62---------------------- 1. Yu Darvish ChC .54
2. Jose Berrios Min 51 ---------------------1. Robbie Ray Ari 54
3. Justin Verlander Hou 49 -----------------3. Patrick Corbin Wash 50
3. Lucas Giolito ChW 49 -------------------3. Walker Buehler LAD 50
 
WHIP
AL---------------------------------------------NL
1. Justin Verlander Hou 0.66 --------------1. Craig Stammen SD 0.71
2. Kenta Maeda Min 0.71------------------ 2. Stephen Strasburg Wash 0.75
3. Charlie Morton TB 0.82 -----------------3. Jon Gray Col 0.83
------------------------------------------------3. Josh Tomlin Atl 0.83
Nice to see Kepler leading the league in HRs and Berrios and Maeda making appearances in the top 3 of big categories. All League Leader stats here: https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/LeagueLeaders.aspx?OrgID=116202&League=0&Report=0&GameType=0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MINNESOTA TEAM STATS


Runs 114 (4th) ------------Hits 173 (4th) ---------Doubles 41 (3rd) -------Triples 5 (3rd)
Home Runs 31 (2nd) -----RBI 110 (4th) ---------BB 93 (1st) -------------Strike Outs 185 (9th)---SB (T11th)
Average .254 (T 7th) -----OBP .352 (2nd)------- SLG .466 (3rd) ---------OPS .819 (3rd)

Wins 13 (2nd)-----------Saves 5 (4thT) ---------Hits allowed 141 (2nd)----------Runs allowed 66 (2nd)
HRs Allowed 19 (4th)---Walks 59 (7th)----------Strike Outs 209 (4th)----------- BAA .215 (2nd)
WHIP 1.17 (2nd)-------- ERA 2.95 (2nd)

Team stats overall are consistently in the top 4 in the AL in both batting and pitching. Great start to the season. Team stats here: https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/LeagueStats.aspx?OrgID=116202&League=1&Report=0&GameType=0&Splits=0
 

MINNESOTA INDIVIDUAL STATS


Batting
Mitch Garver .286/.430/.619----1.049 OPS------ Leads team in Walks (15), OBP, SLG, OPS
Nelson Cruz .286/.398/.500------ .898 ------------Leads team in Runs (16)
Max Kepler .222/.320/.568. ------.887 ------------Leads team in AB (81), HR (8), RBI (25)
Byron Buxton .307/.361/.493 -----.855 -----------Leads team in Hits (23), 2b (7), 3b (2), SB (1), AVG
Josh Donaldson .254/.384/.465.- .849
Miguel Sano .257/.368/.473------ .841------------ Leads team in Ks (32)
Jorge Polanco .243/.341/.351---- .693
Luis Arraez .283/.295/.383-------- .678
Eddie Rosario. .216/.273/.431---- .704----------- Not enough PA to qualify, but close

Pitching
Starters
Jose Berrios. 3-1 ----------- 39.0 IP----- 51/14 K/BB----1.21 WHIP------3.00 ERA------.594 OPS Against
Kenta Maeda. 2-1 -----------28.1 --------30/6 ------------0.71 ------------1.59 -----------.450
Jake Odorizzi 3-0------------30.2--------39/9------------1.08--------------2.05------------.566
Homer Bailey 1-2------------21.1---------22/10-----------1.27-------------4.22-------------.659
Jhoulys Chacin 0-0-----------2.2---------5/2--------------4.13-------------23.63-----------1.972

Relievers
Taylor Rogers 1-1, 4 SV -----9.1 IP-------16/5 K/BB------0.96 WHIP-----0.00 ERA-----.427 OPS Against
Tyler Clippard 0-0, 0---------0.2-----------0/0--------------1.50------------0.00-----------.667
Sergio Romo 1-0, 1----------12.1---------14/5-------------1.30------------0.73-----------.597
Randy Dobnak 2-1, 0--------17.0---------16/2-------------0.88------------2.12-----------.606
Tyler Duffey 0-0, 0-----------5.2-----------9/4--------------2.47-------------6.35----------.882
Trevor May 0-0, 0------------2.2----------5/2---------------1.75------------11.25---------1.017
Zack Littell - Has Not played

6 of our 8 qualified batters have an OPS over .800 which is awesome. 4 of our starters have an OPS against under .700 which is also awesome. Our three workhorse relievers so far, Rogers, Romo and Dobnak have a 46/12 K/BB ratio and all three have an ERA under 2.50. Overall, again, a great start to the season. Individual Twins player stats here: https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/TeamStats.aspx?OrgID=116202&TeamID=10&Report=0&GameType=0&Splits=0

TWINS 2020 SEASON SIMULATION


 
 
Game 15, 4-11-20
(I missed posting yesterday, so two short posts today.). Twins coming off a win vs Chicago wants to expand on that. Odorizzi (2-0) vs. Gio Gonzalez (1-0). Both game highlights below.

The Twins started out hot. Buxton hit a single to start out the game. Kepler doubled scoring Buxton from 1st. Sano singled, scoring Kepler. Cruz doubled, but Sano only could make it to third where he got stranded. Twins leading 2-0. In the bottom of the 4th, Luis Robert hit a single to Jake Cave with 2 men on base. Cave threw a bullet home nailing Yoan Moncada to end the inning. Everything was pretty tame for the rest of the game. Odorizzi pitched 8 wonderful innings getting the win, 4 hits, 2 walks, 0 runs, 13 Ks, game score 89. Rogers came in for the last inning and got his 4th save of the season.

Twins win 2-0
https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/GameRecap.aspx?OrgID=116202&GameID=fdf2636c66064170a67804cd9b04aa76&ReportType=1
Other League News
Jon Gray pitched a 4 hit shut out for Colorado (10-4) 90 game score. Trevor Story went 3-5 in the same game bringing his batting avg. to .429.

 
Game 16, 4-12-20
Twins going for the sweep today vs. the White Sox. Maeda (1-1) vs. Keuchel (1-1).

The Twins just like last game are making a splash to start off the game again. Buxton doubled to lead off the game. Then Sano knocked in Buxton. Twins lead 1-0. Maeda got in trouble in the bottom of the 2nd. Encarnacion hit a single, Abreu got on base after Adrianza threw the ball wildly to first. Grandal hit a single scoring a run. Robert then hit into a double play scoring Abreu. Chicago leads 2-1. Bottom of the third, Yoan Moncada hit a bomb to CF, but Buxton and his amazing defense robbed him of an extra base hit. Also Tim Anderson got walked, and Garver had enough and got ejected from the game. In the top of the 4th, Cruz finally hit his first HR of the season tying this game up. Tied 2-2. More Twins highlights in the top of the 6th. Sano and Cruz started out with singles. Donaldson hit the third single in a row giving the Twins their first lead in 4 innings. Twins lead 3-2. Top of the 7th, Polanco walked and Buxton doubled. With no outs Keuchel who pitched a good game thus far, was pulled from the game. Evan Marshall came in for relief. Kepler hit one deep, but was caught but sacrificed in Polanco. Then Sano hit a double scoring buxton. Marshall finally settled down and got out of the inning. Twins lead 5-2. In the top of the 8th the Twins tried to all but end the game. Cave hit his first hr of the season scoring Avila who walked. Buxton eventually got a sacrifice fly on a foul ball scoring Adrianza who doubled earlier. Twins lead 8-2. In the bottom of the 9th, with Sergio Romo pitching the White Sox wanted to give it one last go. Moncada hit a hard one back to Romo to start the inning and Romo booted it for an error. Encarnacion and Abreu loaded the bases for Yasmani Grandal. A grand slam would make this a game. Grandal ended up hitting a 2 rbi single. Romo then struck out the final three batters

Twins Win 8-4
Maeda got the win 3 hits, 0 unearned runs, 1 bb, 8 ks, in 7.2 innings. Game score 80. Twins get the much needed sweep before heading to Toronto.
https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/GameRecap.aspx?OrgID=116202&GameID=05eb0a40429b4f118a09a171a08f978a&ReportType=1
Twins 10-6 _ 2nd place, 3.5 games behind Cleveland
 
Other League News
Trea Turner of Washington out for 2 weeks. He is having a mediocre season so far. Oakland (9-7) had some 9th inning magic vs the Yankees (7-9) when Pinder who is having a horrible season hit a walk off double. Luis Castillo pitched a gem for Cincinnati game score of 93, putting him 3-0 on the season with 1.69 era. Ozuna hit a 12th inning home run (his 2nd of the season) to put Arizona (9-8) on top of Miami (5-12). The Tigers got their 4th win of the season, with help from the weather when the game was stopped after the top of the 6th due to rain.
 
Twins Stats & More
https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/TeamStats.aspx?OrgID=116202&TeamID=10&Report=0&GameType=0&Splits=0

I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t put something like this together in the past, but there’s definitely more time on all our hands as the world responds to a global pandemic. Baseball allows us to consume the sport in so many different avenues, and while I appreciate your readership both here and on Twitter @tlschwerz, there’s been more than a few great books on the game that have come out in recent years.
 
With the analytical age being almost entirely focused on the consumption of information, we are now being provided content that can act as an avenue for knowledge advancement. Still rooted within the confines of the sport, there are literature works of art that challenge the way we think and push the boundaries for what is to come.
 
These authors are well known within the baseball world, and some of them have worked directly on the biggest stages of the sport. In no particular order, here’s a list of some recommendations I would have:
 
The Arm – Jeff Passan
With the emergence of Tommy John regularity over the course of the past few seasons there has been no better depiction of what has taken place and why. Passan dives into doctoral recommendations and advice, while cataloging just how we got here.
 
Smart Baseball – Keith Law
 
Start with why bunting may be a dying art and add in how to squeeze the most out of the only finite parameter in the sport, your 27 outs. Law provides knew ways to think about execution and outlines solid arguments as to why they make sense.
 
The Only Rule Is It Has To Work – Ben Lindbergh & Sam Miller
 
What happens when you allow to analytically driven minds to completely architect and steer a professional team? This book has your answer. Two Baseball Prospectus minds are given the keys to do as they please and this blends real personalities with calculated decisions.
 
The MVP Machine – Ben Lindberg & Travis Sawchik
 
Much like Lindbergh’s previous entry on this list, The MVP Machine is a must for number crunching fans. While the book does highlight both the Astros and Red Sox World Series runs, the message is clear. It isn’t about finding the diamond in the rough as much as it is creating that player. Because of data, organizations now can do just that.
 
The Inside Game- Keith Law
 
Following a similar thread as the one explored in Smart Baseball, Law is out to find the why behind the what. Baseball produces decisions at a blistering pace, and some of them are more well received than others. Understanding why a choice was the correct one, why it wasn’t, and what drives it all is a fascinating case study that can reveal plenty about ourselves.
 
Swing Kings – Jared Diamond
 
After analytics paved the way as a new buzz word, it stepped back for launch angle to take over. As more balls than ever leave the yard Swing Kings is there to analyze the trend and what players are saying in regards to staying power. This isn’t as much of a wheel reinvention as it’s billed, and the positive results suggest there’s plenty of reason to buy in.
 
If you’re looking for more of a biography or story based read, here are some of my favorites in that category:
 
Papi – David Ortiz
The Phenomenon – Rick Ankiel
Juiced – Jose Canseco
 
What are some of your favorites?
 
For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

TWINS 2020 SEASON SIMULATION


 
 
Game 12, 4-7-20
After giving Cleveland their first loss of the season, game 2 of the series is an important one for the Twins to keep their positive momentum going. Kenta Maeda coming off an unbelievable start is going up against Mike Clevinger which is a tougher matchup for the Twins then Clase in the first game. Can the Twins get 2 in a row? Game highlights below.

Bottom of the 2nd - Nelson Cruz has been struggling this season. He is one of the only Twins starters not to hit a home run yet, surprisingly. Frustrated with how the early season is going, he watched a questionable third strike go by him, got angry, argued the call and got tossed from the game. Alex Avila came in to the DH spot to take over for the ejected Cruz. Tied 0-0
Top of the 3rd - Ramirez got robbed by Arraez to start off the game. Leading off in the third he snuck a double by Arraez this time. Freeman singled and then Lindor walked. Maeda in a huge jam with the bases loaded and no outs. Santana grounded out to 3rd but scored Ramirez. Maeda induced two more ground outs to end the inning fairly unscathed. Cleveland leads 1-0
Bottom of the 5th - Clevinger continued his no hitter through the first two batters, but then the Twins finally started to figure Clevinger out. Rosario shot a towering 451 ft home run to right field. Buxton followed it up with a Triple. Then Kepler hit his 5th home run of the season. Twins lead 3-1
Top of the 7th - Kenta Maeda gets two outs and Baldelli shuts him down for the day. A great quality start for Maeda, 6.2 innings, 7 men on base, 4 Ks, 67 game score. Tyler Duffey comes in for relief and gets Lindor to ground out to end the inning. Twins lead 3-1
Bottom of the 7th - Clevinger continues to struggle just a little walking Rosario and giving up a single to Buxton to start the inning. Nick Wittgren relieved him. Kepler fouled out. Arraez grounded into a fielder's choice, and Polanco struck out, squandering the threat the twins had. Twins 3-1
Top of the 8th - Things started to fall off the rails for Duffey. He walked Santana, and then Roberto Perez hit a single to left field. Cesar Hernandez got another single for the Indians, scoring Santana. Naquin had a sacrifice fly scoring another run. Mercado got another single putting men on 1st and 3rd. Duffey got one more out before being replaced by Taylor Rogers, who almost gave up a HR to Jose Ramirez, but was caught by Rosario deep in left. Tied 3-3
Bottom of the 9th - Rosario leads the inning off with a double putting the winning run in scoring position with no outs. Buxton got intentionally walked. Kepler hit a little bloop pop out. Marwin Gonzalez comes in for Arraez and goes down on strikes. Polanco connected, but hit it right to third sending the Twins back out on the field in extra innings. Tied 3-3
Top of the 10th - Baldelli is trusting his top arm in Rogers leaving him in for his tsecond inning. Rogers didn't let Baldelli down sitting the Indians down in order with 2 Ks. Tied 3-3
Bottom of the 10th - Brad hand is in his 2nd inning pitched for Cleveland. Josh Donaldson had a good eye getting walked, but that is all the Twins could accomplish this inning.
Top of the 11th - Baldelli has already left Rogers in for 2.1 innings but wanted him to keep going as he has been on fire. Rogers got two strike outs but hit Mike Freeman with a pitch. Carlos Santana came up and got the inning ending ground out to Rogers, but Rogers booted it allowing Santana to make it safely to first and keep the inning alive. Completely tuckered out, Baldelli finally puts Trevor May in for Rogers. May walked Puig who was pinch hitting. May then got Sandy Leon to ground to Donaldson at third but Donaldson's throw was wild and 2 runs scored before May struck out Naquin to end the inning. Indians lead 5-3
Bottom of the 11th - Brad Hand and Nick Goody come in to end the game with no real threat from the Twins.

Indians win 5-3.
The Twins defense had been stellar up to this game, but it really cost them this one. Neither run would have occurred in the 11th if it wasn't for Rogers and Donaldson's errors and they had 2 more errors earlier in the game. Seeing a 4 in the last column of the scoreboard is never what you want to see. Duffey gets a blown save, and Rogers, despite a good game gets the loss (0-1)
https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/GameRecap.aspx?OrgID=116202&GameID=7fa4716eb7914feba4c65e67996d0dd7&ReportType=1
 
Twins 7-5 _ 2nd Place, 4 games behind Cleveland
 
Other League News
The Cubs are off to a mediocre start of the season going into today's game (5-5). But they came to play in Pittsburgh today winning 17-4. They hit 9 home runs! Contreras, Almora Jr. and Baez hit 2 each, Hayward, Bryant and Bote each had one of their own as well.
San Diego and Atlanta are both struggling with 5-7 records, but a couple great games gave San Diego the win today. Hosmer went 4-4 with his 2nd and 3rd home run of the season and bringing his season batting average up to .389. MacKenzie Gore didn't make it to the 8th inning but had 14 strike outs with only 4 men on base giving him a 92 game score.
Cam Bedrosian of the Angels (4-8) out for 2 months.
 
Twins 2020 Season Player Stats
https://www.dynastyleaguebaseball.com/TeamStats.aspx?OrgID=116202&TeamID=10&Report=0&GameType=0&Splits=0
 
The Twins have 15 home runs in 12 games which isn't bad, but are still 10 bombs behind the Astros. Their .239 team batting average puts them in the bottom half, just above the Tigers...which definitely says something about the Twins start of the season.