Squirrel

Yes, you did get in trouble for trying ...

Don't forget to join us in tonight's game thread once the game gets underway!

Okay, first of all ... Buxton isn't a rookie. Second, MVP awards don't (or shouldn't) take into account previous years. It's about this, one, current season, that's it. It's about which player, in that one season, had the greatest effect on their team. It isn't even about 'who's the best over all best player in baseball.' If Buxton stays healthy and plays in 130+ games, and the Twins make the post-season, and he continues on the path he is, he should absolutely be one of the top choices for MVP. Yeah, I know, lots of ifs in there, but that is the criteria, and those are the things that will put him in the conversation, not previous seasons. Other seasons do not have a play in MVP voting. Remember when Morneau won? And Yankee fans were in an uproar because they thought Jeter should have won, even though Morneau's numbers were better all around, because they thought his contributions in previous seasons should matter? MVP voting doesn't work that way. It's not about previous seasons, it's about this year. I mean, then someone like Mike Trout or Shohei Ohtani would win it every year. But ... we will see ... Bux has to stay on the field, this year, to be considered. And the other things, too. But last year has no bearing on this year's MVP.

How is last year influenced in this year's MVP?

I hope Gray isn’t out until summer, that’s a couple months from now. But I agree that we need to give it more time before getting too exuberant about the starting pitching, but they have done better than expected so far. But the potential was there, imo, good to see it come out

I figure that ‘Button’ is Buxton, but who/what is ‘slays bunny’? Just curious how far off autocorrect is.

You completely missed the point. Like, completely. Astudillo is NOT a good catcher not even close, so much not even close that the Twins and his current team do t think he is either. Losing Astudillo has no bearing on this discussion, because he’s not a catcher. I’d rather have our current backup options than Astudillo.

No, not one iota. What I wish was that they hadn't traded Rortvedt, too. I get trading Garver, but both? No. Astudillo is NOT a good catcher. We are better with Godoy or Sisco than Astudillo, even if he was such a fan favorite. Frankly, I'd rather have Esco back for catching depth, that's how much Astudillo is not a good catcher, imo, and in fact, the Twins and his current team don't even really consider him a catcher at all.

He does come to ST as a special coach, I believe (or has) ... I've seen him there ... but I don't know how much actual, in detail coaching he does. Someone closer in might have a better answer. @Seth Stohs?

My rationale is ... Winder is a starter, not a reliever. I don't want him on the Twins team to relieve all year. I don't want his role as long relief, or piggy back ... I want him stretched to go 5 or 6 innings, ultimately 7 later into the season. The only way to do that is for him to go back to AAA until/when he is needed to START on the Twins. I think Archer will get more starts before determining anything. Gray will be back soon. We also have Paddack, Ober, Bundy and Ryan who are all ahead of Winder in the start column, at least for now. May 1st is coming where decisions on the roster need to be made. Sending Winder to AAA where he can START every 5th or 6th game is what I want to see, not waiting in the BP until a situation arises where he is used. I understand your reasoning, and won't be unhappy if that's the way it goes; my preference, though, is what I stated.

Yeah, I made that observation, too, earlier in thread. Time will tell, but they have really been hit with the injury bug, along with less than stellar play. Listening to the White Sox recap with Ozzie and Frank Thomas … was interesting. A year ago Ozzie was saying, ‘Wow, these aren’t the Twins I remember’ and he’s close to that with the Sox after losing 7 in a row.

Well, also … I think we are forgetting who was coming up to bat. Loading the bases for Arraez wasn’t necessarily a good idea, either. Arraez hits a single, two runs score. That was perhaps the higher likelihood than another Bux bomb. And Buxton did have those 3 Ks from earlier in the game. I don’t think it was indefensible to pitch to Buxton, with your best closer on the mound. They decided to pitch to Bux instead of Luis. And LaRusso just got beat, is all. It happens. But boy, am I glad it did!

I think Winder should go down because he is a starter and needs to be starting on a regular basis so he is ready and able to jump into the rotation when/if needed. He’s gotten a taste and now needs to get regular work. I think Celestino needs to go down for the same reason. He needs to be playing every day. Gordon has proven to be a more than adequate extra/backup CFer and getting starts in LF

I think everything was defensible since we won. If Baldelli gets credit for losing games, he gets credit for winning them, imo. But overall, I think it’s a combined effort between everyone. as for the day off, I think this explains it. He didn’t just have one, and he’s had fewer rest than others, on a shorter ST than others. And this day off today along with yesterday sets up 13 days in a row of play, so, good for Baldelli to be thinking ahead for a long stretch of play, especially since we will be losing two players come May 1st

Same with my Mom, again back in the mid-60s and then some. One year she actually kept a score card for every game. Wish she had kept that … it would have been interesting to see. She lives in Florida now but still enjoys going to a game when I visit, either for ST or to see a Miracle (now Mussels) game. She said growing up on their farm, long before the Twins existed, she followed the Cardinals on the radio. There may have also been some kind of affiliate or minor league team nearby, but that story is foggy.

Actually ... Garlick pinch hit for Larnach ... then Celestino pinch ran for Garlick and Celestino stayed in the game

Stepped in and up. Yep, good to see and hear

I'm surprised that the story about Lew that wasn't shared was how he tried to iron his shirt while wearing it

Sano had a 496-er in 2019 against the ChiSox (according to a quick google search ... someone else may be able to confirm or deny this)

I don't recall Buxton ever being this animated, showing how much of a leader he is. Shades of Kirby's 'jump on my back' ... it seems like either he's just really, finally, coming into his own, or what? But it seems he's found a missing component

I don't know yet if this is how the Sox's year will end ... but their beginning certainly reminds me of the Twins last year ... high expectations, then injuries and illness and under/poor performance just derailed them. The Sox seem to be going that route this season when their expectations are high

I mean, I post a lot of links and photos of shoes in game threads … ?

They have to have people that would talk … Hawk would be silent

The White Sox post-game show with Ozzie Guillen and Frank Thomas is precious. And I put my chicken in the oven before the game was over because I had faith ?

I really liked Seth’s interview of Winder … look forward to hearing more