Doubles

This thing went so far off the rails, there are no winners here. But yes, I will agree the fat-shaming is also not a good look. And in the interest of being even-handed, I should have included that in my run-down on the whole fiasco.

Now, for the non-baseball side of this fiasco: I have forged relationships with people I respect & admire on both sides of this debate. In the interest of full disclosure, I was once a blogger for the MinnCentric team. I enjoy Twins Daily a great deal. I also co-host a show on Souhan's podcast network. Jim felt compelled to defend himself after his professionalism & integrity fell under attack for his August column on Sano. I get that. But I don't think there was much to gain by going after the bloggers. I think I know what he was driving at regarding the "People you should & shouldn't listen to" regarding Twins coverage. But it came across as self-righteous grandstanding. Again, I think I get where he was going here, but some different wording could have given more credence to his point. As for Gleeman's part, I think he's come across here as pretty sophomoric. In his blind rage, he's alleged Souhan has written things that he hasn't. I haven't seen Souhan call Sano "soft" or blame him for being injured fouling a pitch off his shin. If he has & I missed it, please feel free to point that out to me. If Aaron inferred those things from something Souhan wrote, I would put that back on him. If someone infers something that was not written, isn't that on the reader? Jim did speculate that Sano's weight may prolong his recovery. Not sure there's a definitive answer there, but the longer Sano is out, maybe lends that there may be something to that theory. Aaron also likes to post other people's questionable tweets on Twitter in an effort to tear them down or make them look foolish. Right or wrong, this comes across to me as rather petty, & just isn't a good look. John's article here references Souhan's "Sano is Too Fat" article. That may have been how John read it, but that's not how I did. More than likely, our pre-existing biases play a role in our perceptions. Maybe even a larger role than we realize, or are willing to acknowledge. Now this whole thing has (d)evolved into a pissing match. Pick a side, and then defend it vociferously. Logic & reason be damned. From my seat, this entire thing is as much, if not more, about who wrote it than what was written. For my part, I will choose what I read, what I listen to, and what I believe all on my own. I ingest a ton of Twins content, and I can form my own opinions on the legitimacy & credibility of all that I take in. I do believe access is helpful, but I have read plenty of great content that's proven it's not a necessity, and will continue to do so. As a friend of mine said- paraphrasing- 'This whole thing started when people took issue with the notion that a 300lb third baseman is sub-optimal...'

Maybe I should start here. Can we all agree on the following thoughts / assumptions / conjecture / speculation / or whatever you want to call it? *Miguel Sano is a pretty GD good third baseman, regardless of however much he weighs. Today, at 24 years of age. *Sano is infinitely more valuable as a third baseman. His value will decrease if he moves to a lesser-premium defensive position like first base, and will certainly decrease more if he is ever moved to full-time DH. *Sano may be able to play effectively at 285 or whatever, at age 24. Guess what? He ain't gonna be 24 forever. Most people are susceptible to gaining weight as they age. It would be extremely short-sighted, if not flat-out negligent, for the Twins to turn a blind eye to this. The sooner Sano addresses this, the easier it will be to remedy. It would take a lot of work & discipline for him to get down to 250 or 260. It will take a whole lot more effort than that for him to get down to 260 if he keeps putting on weight as he heads towards and passes the 300 mark. *At some point, the Twins are going to have to decide whether or not they will be willing to commit to Sano long-term. Anyone think they aren't extremely nervous about committing big money & term on a guy whose size is going to have a major impact on his future? And if you don't believe that, can you at least acknowledge the uncertainty about where Sano will play in the field (if he's in the field at all) a mere five years from now, before Sano even hits 30?

Biggest sigh of relief in Twins Territory since Bill Smith was told to box up his belongings.

Remote or no, I don't think I could possibly disagree with a take more than I do this one. I will, however, submit that Buxton's defense is so absurdly good, that he was rushed to the big leagues with a bat that needed considerably more seasoning than his glove. At the same time, I don't blame anyone for wanting that glove in the lineup, even at the expense of the bat.

The 1987 season was a magical ride for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. The 162 game baseball season is often referred to as a “Marathon, not a sprint.” Thirty years later, one game on a Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee still stands out in my mind above all the rest. The Twins entered play on Sunday, August 30th, 1987 in a virtual tie with the Oakland Athletics atop the American League West Division, with a record of 68-63. (Coincidentally, the 2017 Twins also enter play on August 30th at 68-63.) Twins manager Tom Kelly sent pitcher Frank Viola to the mound, facing the Brewers Juan Nieves. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Minnesota. Dad & I had gone fishing that afternoon, and we had the ballgame on in the boat. Just a wonderful day. A first inning RBI single by Kirby Puckett, followed by a solo Puckett homer in the 3rd staked Viola and the Twins to an early 2-0 lead. The Brewers answered with three runs in their half of the 4th, taking a 3-2 lead. The Twins responded with a three run inning of their own in the fifth, reclaiming the lead 5-3. A one-out single by future Twin player, Manager, and Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, brought another future Hall of Famer- Robin Yount- to the plate with the bases loaded. Yount sent a towering fly ball to center field. It looked like a sure grand slam. Enter center fielder Kirby Puckett: https://youtu.be/o-YeunaFKyA The Brewers still managed to score three runs in the inning, taking a 6-5 lead after six. But Puckett’s clutch catch kept the inning from getting out of hand and also kept the Twins within striking distance until they could muster up another rally in the top of the eighth inning. Greg Gagne lead off with a single, followed by Puckett’s second double of the game. Gary Gaetti was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Twins went on to scratch out three runs on a Kent Hrbek sacrifice fly and a two-run single from Gene Larkin to take an 8-6 lead. Relievers Keith Atherton and Jeff Reardon combined to shut the Brewers down in the eighth inning. The Twins looked to tack on some insurance in the top of the ninth. With two outs and nobody on, Brewers All-Star Closer Dan Plesac got Gagne to swing and miss and strike three. However, the inning was extended when Brewers catcher Bill Schroeder was charged with a passed ball, allowing Gagne to reach first base. That set the stage for Puckett’s final at-bat. Puckett was cleary in “The Zone” during this series in Milwaukee. The day before, on August 29, 1987- Puckett went 4 for 5 with two home runs in a 12-3 drubbing of the Brew Crew. During that sixth at-bat on Sunday- the one that shouldn’t have even happened in the first place- Puck put an exclamation point on one of the best two-day stretchers a player has had in Major League history. Kirby jumped on an outside fastball from Plesac. Twins fans knew his patented bat-flip was a sure sign that Puckett had gotten ahold of one, and indeed he had. The ball rocketed into the right field bleachers at County Stadium. Six for six. A perfect day. https://youtu.be/bu-9xO0nMZk All told, Puckett finished the game with two singles, two doubles, two dingers, four runs scored, and four runs batted it. And don’t forget about Puck’s outstanding catch to rob Yount of a grand slam and to set the stage for the Twins eighth inning rally. This was, without a doubt- the single most dominant performance I have ever seen in baseball by a position player. The win enabled the Twins to take sole possession of first place in the AL West over Oakland, a lead they would not relinquish. This was the game that really started hooking Twins fans on this team. This was the very moment that Minnesotans started doing something very dangerous: wondering if their team was on the verge of something very, very special. In one of the rarest of all seasons, the home team delivered the goods, as the Twins capped the 1987 season as World Series Champions. If anyone wonders why baseball is important to me, there are plenty of reasons for that. But days like August 30th, 1987 certainly come to the front of my mind: Fishing with Dad, listening to the Twins on the radio, and the greatest performance by a position player kick-starting the Minnesota Twins to a division title and ultimately a World Championship. A perfect day, indeed.

Polanco also made a very heads-up play by keeping the tag on whichever White Sox player hit the double & over-slid the bag. Good stuff.

I don't think the gist of the column was necessarily to be in the current tense. I read it as more of a cautionary tale of where Sano may be heading in the near future. "Sano is 24 and until this week he had not suffered any injuries related to his bulk, but even his strength and assorted other athletic gifts will not allow him to be the player he should be if he isn’t careful."

I don't get why this is being framed as being some sort of egregious breach of confidence or 'leak' of classified information. Sano's a big rig- that shouldn't be a revelation of any sort to anyone with sight.

I don't see where anyone, anywhere, has stated that Sano's injury was related to his conditioning. I have seen mention made, including in Souhan's column- that a guy carrying extra weight can negatively impact recovery from a leg injury. Again, no medical evidence of this, but it sounds logical. And if Sano's injury is progressing as slowly as Molitor seemed to mention yesterday, and if Sano is out for any stretch of time beyond the 10 days- this narrative is only gonna gain more steam.

From Nick's article: "To write these kinds of columns for a Minnesota sports audience almost feels treacherous, and hugely ill-advised when you think about the big picture. We should all collectively be trying to woo this generational hitting talent into sticking around. One day in the not-too-distant future, Sano will be approaching free agency, and will more than likely have suitors lining up for his services. If he chooses to go elsewhere, Souhan and Reusse will surely be lamenting another star player who left the small market via free agency to chase the spotlight and the big dollars. Maybe they could've tried harder to appreciate what they had, while they had it." Nick- I enjoy your writing very much and have the utmost respect for you and your work. But I believe you are a bit off-base in the passage quoted above. I look to the media to cover what they see, offer up some info as why we are seeing what we see, and to share their platform with the teams & players in serving as a conduit between the team & its fan base. I don't believe it's the media's role at all to influence matters of team composition or player personnel. I may be being a bit idealistic here, but I want the media to "Tell it like it is," & "Call it like they see it." Paying any mind to or trying to influence whether a player will re-sign or be retained would seriously compromise what I want from my local scribes. Columnists get more leeway to opine than beat writers, but the point remains. And I don't think Reusse or Souhan would give it a nano-second of thought if Sano ended up signing elsewhere someday. They've seen hundreds of players come & go in their day. I seriously doubt they'd see Sano any differently than any other player that has moved on from the Twin Cities. Sorry to be critical, Nick. Again, I enjoy your work thoroughly and always look forward to reading your stuff.

I've already been down this path on another thread in this forum, so I should probably just let this go. But I can't help myself. Here is what I think is the climactic passage of the column in question: "Sano should play at about 260 pounds, if not 250. He would have more energy, would run better, would have a better chance of staying healthy and would remain powerful enough to hit the ball out to any field in any ballpark. He would also be able to remain at third base, where his strong arm is an asset." While I don't know of any scientific fact that would back up any of the above, I find the logic hard to argue with.

Sano is one of my favorite players, and one of the Twins organization's biggest assets. The front office would be negligient not to have concerns about the physical condition of all its players, much less one of its most vital. I'm still not seeing what all the fuss about Souhan's, and Reusse's columns is all about. They said the organization has concerns. And the organization should have concerns. Lavelle corroborated those concerns across multiple platforms, but I don't see anyone hammering him.

On its face, I'm not a fan of bunting either, but it does have its place. In the case of someone like Buxton, getting his speed on base is imperitive. Usually only takes one more hit to get him in once he gets on. That's huge.

I like that the players personalities are encouraged to shine through. I don't always appreciate that part of the game, but I am taking the opportunity to do that this weekend. I didn't like the jerseys / uniforms. They looked like something you would pull off the shelf at WalMart. Yuck.

Fair.

I know there's a faction that wants to see Mauer snap a bat over his knee, bust up a cooler, or spike a helmet in frustration. That's not me. I couldn't care less about that kind of stuff. Do I believe Mauer cares & wants to win? Yeah, for sure. Seeing him break something won't sway me one iota one way or the other as to his level of commitment. I don't specifically know for fact how Molitor handles his lineup, but I think Joe has the pedigree of a guy that should be able to say, "Hey, I know it's supposed to be my day off today, but we've been hit by some injuries (or whatever circumstance), we really need this game, and I think I can go. Put me in there." And again, I don't think anyone should be so scared of Holland to necessitate sitting one of your 2-3-4 hitters, regardless of a lefty-on-lefty matchup. I don't have any idea as to what the dynamics of this team are behind the scenes. I have on past teams, and regardless of what anyone says, I believe it matters. Last night's lineup would've been a great spot for a veteran team leader to step up and say, "Hey, put me in, Mollie. I got this." Whether anyone cares to acknowledge it or not, that kinda stuff goes a long way inside a clubhouse. I don't know why that's coming across as so unreasonable, over playing a guy making his MLB debut this week with 3 games at a position he's played less than 10 times all season. It may not always look like it, but first base is an extremely difficult position to play. And, oh by the way, to get OTJT at the major league level is an awful lot to ask of a young player, even moreso in games that are hugely relevant. But I guess players are off-limits to criticism on this forum.

Just watched Molitor's post-game presser from last night. He seemed to bristle a bit when Berardino asked about being able to trust Garver at first base. Interesting reaction.

No thanks on Valencia. He's played on 7 teams since 2012. Think there's not reasons for that?

Thanks for posting this, Tom. Also, props to you for your work on the TD Gamers. Great stuff, especially for somebody who isn't on the inside. Thanks for all the time & thought you put into these write-ups. Didn't Joe get hurt down the stretch last season? And for a season as dismal as last year was, there was no urgency to get back into the lineup. Yes, I get and believe there is something to keeping a 34-year old guy as healthy & fresh as possible. I just question throwing an inexperienced player- especially one with such little time spent at the position- to the wolves. Not really much fair to the player- in this case Garver- as much as anything else.

Yes, it is speculation on my part. As I'm not on the inside, it's what I do. I made zero mention of Mauer's contract, but thanks for adding that in there. From Berardino's gamer: "After Yoan Moncada drew a four-pitch walk and stole second one out later in the fourth, first baseman Mitch Garver booted Nick Delmonico’s soft grounder to his right for a run-scoring error. Garver was playing first for the third time since being called up last Friday, but before that the natural catcher hadn’t played there since June 9 at Triple-A Rochester. In five games (four starts) at first for the Red Wings this year, Garver had been charged with one error. “I think it was a broken bat,” Garver said. “I knew I had to get over there and try to make a play on the ball. I think it hit off the heel of my glove and I ended up slipping.” The ball kicked away far enough for Moncada to score from second. “He’s going out there and he’s working on his defense,” Molitor said of Garver. “We’re trying to make him as versatile as we can. We don’t have a lot of options against left-handed pitching right now. He’s made some plays.” So you're saying you're okay with running a guy out to an infield spot- who has a lot of learning to do about the position- over a guy many people feel is playing defense at a Gold Glove level? Sorry, but I'm not. And unless Joe is dealing with some sort of malady that makes it impossible for him to strap it on- then yeah, I'm demanding more. I'm not blaming Garver at all. I'm questioning why a guy with only a handful of games played at first base this season is being asked to learn an extremely difficult position on the fly at the major league level. Meanwhile, Mauer, and his remarkably good glove- sits two games & DH's another in the last week.

Anybody else disappointed Mauer wasn't in the lineup? Easy to pile on given the error at first base, but come on, Joe. Team is fighting for a playoff spot. No idea what Mauer's numbers are vs Holland, but it's not like he's Randy Johnson out there. This should be a time of year when a manager has to drag a guy out of the lineup, kicking & screaming. That's not the feeling I get from Mauer.

As intriguing as Greene is, isn't anyone skeptical about going 1.1 on a pitcher that only threw 28 innings? I mean, aside from having a lightning bolt for a right arm, what else is there possibly to glean from that? I realize that minimal wear & tear on his arm could eventually be a good thing, but still...

Gotcha.

Did you hear this directly from a Twins source? I'd find it extremely hard to believe they weren't aware of him or whatever "on the Twins' radar" means. Remember, around draft time a favorite cliche' of NFL executives is you know they're lying when their lips are moving. Not saying the Twins are lying, I'm saying I'd be shocked if they weren't well aware of Greene and all potential first round picks leading up to this draft quite some time ago.