Hosken Bombo Disco

Beeker is actually 24, but has a mild case of homerun-itis in his past few starts at Cedar Rapids. Based only on following them via the MiLB site, I think the chances are good that one or both of Poppen and Beeker are in high A Fort Myers before long, and to stick around a while after that!

Ervin Santana is on top of his game. Earlier this evening, Santana blanked the Baltimore Orioles in a complete game win. It's his second complete game shutout on the season. Santana allowed just two hits, two walks, no runs, and no baserunners after the fifth inning. Santana owns a 7-2 record with a 1.80 ERA in ten starts. In 70.0 innings, he has allowed a mere 31 hits. After tonight, Santana has now won all four of his road starts, allowing just one run in 29.0 innings in those starts. The bottom of the ninth inning in tonight's game was a thing of beauty. Leading off and trailing by two runs, Adam Jones took a fastball and then a slider out of the zone, working Santana to a favorable 2-0 hitter's count. Then, like a true poker player, Santana stared down Jones and threw a thigh-high fastball, which Jones took for a strike. That ran the count to 2-1 and back in Santana's favor. Jones grounded out the next pitch. Then Manny Machado came up, fell behind 0-1, and couldn't lay off pitches out of the zone after that, striking out on a slider in the dirt. Mark Trumbo then came to bat and grounded out on the first pitch to end the game. Great pitch-calling, great execution of those pitches, great approach to batters the third and fourth times through the order, no doubt also some great scouting reports and comparing of notes when necessary as the game went on. Santana was in complete control. Great pitching is truly an art. Now excuse me while I go fetch a handkerchief.

Ok, so Mauer isn't worth $23 million anymore. But what if he maintains his hitting and fielding at current levels (or close to), stays healthy, and then after 2018 arranges to come back on a year-by-year basis for say $1 million per season? Would Mauer be overvalued or undervalued then?

No, but perhaps this balk-y image of C C Sabathia will tide you over http://i0.wp.com/usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/screen-shot-2016-07-21-at-12-42-24-pm.jpg

Hard to believe, easy to like

Sure, maybe, but pretty much every pitcher except 2014 Phil Hughes could stand to tighten their command a little, so I didn't put as much into those words as maybe I should have.

Very possible these things do happen. Something similar might have happened with Meyer who actually pitched pretty well in 2014 in Rochester but never got a call up. In hindsight it looks like Meyer was not as good a prospect as Berrios, and I'm just glad that the front office got Berrios up before his window closed.

And there sure seems to be pretty strong evidence that some in the organization did want Berrios to remain in the minors for a while. Most of us are glad that clearer heads prevailed. I still remember the main reason Berrios started in AAA was to stretch him out.....

Now that the Twins are winning, it's funny how much I suddenly like Molitor again

very

1-0?? Are you kidding me?!?!?!1!!?!

winner

Who's warming for the Twins? Kintzler? Pressly? Wilkmeister?

I will take your word for it

I don't think that was a swing

Really?

LOL survive that inning

Twins Baseball™

LOL Belisle nods his head "I'm ready"

Dammit I hate leaker ground balls against us

Orthodoxy. Plain ol' orthodoxy.

I'd give it to him, we'll see