Hosken Bombo Disco

At this point in time I think it makes the most sense to skip 2023 and rebuild for 2024 with Lewis, Arraez, and Brooks Lee I guess. Larnach and Wallner might fit at a corner somewhere. Maybe Kirilloff makes a full recovery. That would be a lot of offense. It’s still yet to be seen what their plan is for pitching, but maybe some of these young guys will be allowed to develop the way pitchers have always been allowed to develop, or at least since the 70s or 80s when the fireman came on the scene.

In a nutshell, the quality of Twins commentary is going to reflect the team’s Win-Loss record and playoff success, regardless of platform or medium. Bringing in new baseball operations people, new coaches, will hopefully make the team better, send them deep into the postseason, and in turn improve the quality of the site and better discussion. Some of us see all of that as interrelated, the first part being the most important part that leads to the last part. Sure, as long as you are mentioning the quality of the site, I will also say that I think this site was better when it was more of a hobby for a few devoted writers, than whatever it is now. But there are still great things happening on here. Why completely jump ship here for Twitter?

I did not see any vitriol in this thread, certainly none up to the point you posted this. If the vitriol you are seeing is coming from Twitter, from the outside, why bring it into to your website?

No.

I would have considered attending the Chiefs-Bucs game this Sunday if it had been relocated to Minneapolis. For the Mahomes-Brady angle, and haven’t been inside the new stadium yet, and why not try to see one more NFL game live before they start shoveling dirt over me.

I just want to comment on the idea that Falvey inherited no pitching. It's just not true. They inherited Gibson and Berrios, a mediocre but reliable pitcher approaching free agency and an exciting young rookie. Ok so the big league rotation was light on talent, but it wasn't completely barren. Throw in Erv Santana. If anything, it was the bullpen and the pitchers in the minors who we were optimistic about. In the bullpen they inherited Ryan Pressly, Taylor Rogers, and Brandon Kintzler. That's not nothing. Plus a swath of other guys who had some nominal value like Duffey, Tonkin, etc. There were younger guys like Brusdar Graterol and Fernando Romero on their way up. Some posters liked Randy Rosario and Felix Jorge. Way down deeper in the sytem, teams plucked Luis Gil, Huascar Ynoa, and Tyler Wells from us. Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart had value. Stephen Gonsalves was not expected to be a star, but was also not to be traded away, either. Too valuable. Part of the future. All of these pitchers I listed made it to the big leagues, so they can tell their grandkids and so on. I am not trying to disparage them, at all. Now, like the previous poster, I have things piling up to do.

Very well said. Your post was the post I was thinking in my head. Most of the nucleus played pretty close to form. Gordon and Miranda were pleasant surprises, while Lewis and Kirilloff had unpleasant ones. Otherwise, which player can you look back on in 2022 and really be surprised about? I do think they projected more from Correa. I don’t think you can call 120 IP from your best starter a handsome payoff either—well put. Until the Twins fix the pitching side of the house, no player projections or promising rookies will matter much. It’s not good enough to cite a pitcher who had a good year in the minors, like we did with Balazovic and his 2021 season and how I fear the expectations will be placed on Woods-Richardson and his 2022 season. Falvey and Levine need to relearn pitching on the fly. Twins Daily throws around adjectives like they’re a dime a dozen. We read words like handsome, stardom, historic, spectacular, devastating, dominating, unstoppable, brilliant, we read those words in just about every minor league recap when someone pitches well, and really, where can you go from there?

That’s why

The Twins were always Trout’s achilles heel. Just not recently,

There are a few angles to this. First, yes I agree, if a game is a real blowout early, go ahead and pull a few guys. I understand win probability of a seven run lead in the 5th inning, but I do not agree that that’s the time to remove your best players. Maybe wait until the 7th or 8th and another turn through the order? Then we can talk about platoon splits and rest days and those types of things. Larnach and Garlick might be a good platoon in left. Arraez needs to be an everyday leadoff hitter despite his platoon split. Sometimes your hitters are going to be at a disadvantage; that’s why winning low scoring games is important. But I won’t launch into a discussion about pitching here. Start managing Buxton’s rest days the way it would have been in the past, with afternoon games and those getaway days. Same with catchers. I don’t see that the Twins have improved on these things since the days TK managed. I recommend if this front office wants to get better, they get back to basics.

Twenty-five years ago:

After his 7 no hit innings he said that?

Well it looks pretty clear that Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray do not like pitching here, due to being pulled from games too early. This will not end well unless there is a philosophical change or a purge of all but three or four present members of the bullpen for significantly better bullpen arms. And if your response to Ryan and Gray being unhappy is some version of “well they are professionals and need to get over it” then I suggest you try an experiment at your own place of employment. Do something to someone that pisses them off and inhibits their ability to get their job done. If they stop what they are doing and look up at you, tell them they are professionals and need to get over it. Let us know how it goes!

I’ve actually been told in this forum by someone liking your posts that, yes, there are games the Twins don’t care if they win or not. Because by not putting your best team on the field in some games gives you a better chance in other future games.

Hi! Today for the game thread introduction, I will be posting a list of things to do besides complain about Rocco or the front office. Pitching matchup: LHP Jose Suarez (6-8, 4.11) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (8-7, 4.78) Time: 1:10 p.m. Location: Target Field, Minneapolis. Weather: Mid 60s, mostly sunny and breezy. Lineups to follow But since this is Twins Territory, and since the Twins like to cut corners, there will not be 10 things on the Top Ten list, but more like 8 or 9 things. So, with no ado, here are the Top 6 or 7 things you can do today besides complain about Rocco or the front office (drum roll gif): Complain about Emilio Pagan not making the All Star game this year— I mean, if it weren’t for all those bad outings, he would have been there, just ask him; Imagine being an Angels fan, with two of the best players in baseball in Trout and Ohtani and not a whole lot of pitching year after year to get them through the regular season (oh wait, that kind of sounds like the Twins too); Fantasize about the prospect haul that Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle will bring back at the trade deadline next season; Try going into a busy bustling sports bar at about 1:10 p.m. this afternoon and ask them to put the Twins game on the big screen; Ok, complain anyway, but be decent about it, try to be constructive, say the same old thing in a new way if possible, no name calling, and don’t make it personal. Here is a list of things that did not make the cut: Plan something with your family, or join up with a loved one, instead of figuring out how to get away and watch the sports games … go out and enjoy a beautiful early autumn afternoon if you are in Minnesota … start getting ready for winter in some way (a frost might be coming to Minnesota this week) … pick up a book anywhere in the middle and read for a bit … walk your dog somewhere new … decide to cook, bake, or prepare a dish from your childhood … acknowledge that bad habit you have, and visualize and plan your next attempt to break it … surprise someone in your home or building or a neighbor by smiling or waving to them … clean up or organize a certain corner of your apartment, basement, house, yard or garage you have been thinking about … pause and appreciate something ordinary or something you usually take for granted … write a letter or send a text to catch up with someone you haven’t reached out to for a while. Mixing and matching from both lists is allowed. Play ball!

Also worth mentioning in this thread:

I agree. It wouldn’t be pretty. But we did get a tease, of sorts. There was a short report in the Athletic right before the trade deadline with this lede paragraph: “Two rival officials Monday expressed little confidence the Twins would hold on in the AL Central, which they currently lead by 3 1/2 games over the Guardians and four games over the White Sox.”

I am actually rooting for Judge. Not sure why. But if Arraez rallies and catches him that would be spectacular. I know Arraez has platoon splits but sitting Arraez against lefties is just item #772 in my long list of dumb things the Twins do but am not going to worry about. Twins fans got a nice well-earned gift when Morneau edged out Jeter for MVP in 2006.

Representing the leagues and the teams against the fans in this suit will be the local media, led by the strong team of Dick Bremer, LaVelle E. Neal III, Paul Allen, and a fourth media member yet to be chosen who sent out a Tweet comparing the Earned Run Average of Emil Pagan and Taylor Rogers for the month of July through August 2nd. Bremer, Allen, and Neal, speaking for the Twins and Vikings, say that the fans are being unreasonable, as usual. They say that the fans are wrong to expect so much and would have done the same thing anyway if they were in charge, which they weren’t. They also added that the fans should just wait a couple years for the young guys to develop and the plan to fall into place, and stop complaining. In response, the fans had no comment. Or were left speechless. Hard to know the difference anymore.

That is a huge problem.

They are now 10.0 games out of first. Ten.

Ok well the front office also thinks they are a good team, or else they wouldn’t have traded away all these prospects. So, their heads must be in the sand too. Maybe we should direct more of our ire at them.

Good teams don’t trade their best players. That’s about as clear and concise as I can make it. The rest is just lawyering.

Because your line of thinking raises more questions than it answers. How could the Twins not think they could win in 2021 after winning the division in 2019 and 2020? If the Twins were not planning to win in 2022, and that’s why they traded Berrios and Rogers, then… why sign Correa? Why trade away prospects at the deadline? Why trade Chase Petty for Sonny Gray if they were never planning to make a run in 2022?

Were the Twins competing for World Series titles last year or this year? I assume so? Why wouldn't you assume so? But it's not just the two moves of trading Berrios and Rogers - it's a pattern of moves, it's a philosophy of moves. I don't know why people spend so much time pushing back at readership. If people spent more time trying to unpack the philosophy, maybe we could figure out what's going on, and get somewhere. Phrases like "changes in the organization are needed" or "this front office is not beyond criticism" are not actually criticisms.