ewen21

I agree with you. THis idea that his speed and defense is so marvelous that he makes an impact is all well and good, but I have to be honest about his bat and that is a large part of a position player's game. HIs bat is just not good. Period. I am wondering and waiting when it will come around because his sub .700 career OPS and .230something lifetime average at this point is making me question that part of his game. Not sure how it is a bad thing or a "negative thing" to discuss this honestly as fans. Are we to not discuss this because it is "negative"??

I didn't see where anyone was ripping him. I get what you are saying about slumps, but Buxton is a sub .700 OPS for his career right now. People are concerned (and rightly so) about his propensity for injuries and his unreliable bat.

This has been coursing through my brain the last few days. Can't say I am too upset about that

Warming his hands by the fire at that

Mr. MOJO RISIN

Hawk hilarious like him or not. I will never forget watching the Royals taking out the White Sox for us at the end of the 2006 season. However, there was a game earlier that September where Mark Redman pitched for the Royals and he (inexplicably) shut down the White Sox for seven innings. The White Sox came up the next inning and I believe they tied the game on a Thome home run. When the Royals got up in the bottom of the 8th they staged a ridiculous rally where nothing was hit hard. A walk or two, maybe an error, a miscue, some humpback singles.....with the game slipping away, Hawk was losing his mind. It all came to a head when Paul Bako came up with the bases loaded and two outs. He fisted a ball that gyroed just over the pitcher's head and landed safely on the infield grass just before second base. It couldn't be fielded cleanly and two runs scored. I will never forget this. This took place at my friend's house (he was an early MLB TV guy)after we'd golfed earlier in the day so we were coasting down beers and feeling good, but what Hawk said after the replay stands out as one of the last pee in the pants moments I have had. They played the replay and there was a five second pause of silence, but then Hawk mumbled in disgust...... "THAT is the epitome.....of a Sporting News base hit" For whatever reason my friend ran out of the room into his kitchen because he just couldn't stand it. I spit out some beer and we laughed for a solid two or three minutes straight. Even to this day, I only need to say "Paul Bako" to my friend and it throws him. A true "you had to be there" moment

No one says it is HIS FAULT, but can we admit he has tailed off since he became Mr. 2,000? (6 for 35 with no runs driven in) And if you want to talk about what he's done in the last eight games how about what he has done with his bat? Everyone knows he loves to walk, but it is getting a little old watching him go up there with the being his primary objective. Since the losing streak he is 4 for 25 with one extra base hit and no RBI. Last night he walked the first three times he was up. In his fourth at bat he took the first two pitches for strikes with two runners on and two out. The game was getting away from us and he was in take mode until he had two strikes on him. That to me was a very hard at bat to watch. Why even take a bat to the box?

He needs to every once in a while acknowledge the circumstances and adjust accordingly. If he cannot/will not do that then he deserves criticism just like any other player who can't or won't adjust to the circumstances.

It was boiling inside of me for the last 48 hours. I just could not take it anymore. Things are what they are and I don't see it as a positive to use a "glass half full" perspective today. Why not just discuss what is real? When the team is in an 8 game losing streak and things go down the way they have no sense beating around the bush. These players made the point for me. I did not go out of my way to be a "Debbie Downer". Just calling it like it is.

I am beyond frustrated with a lot of this young talent right now. Rosario is going to be a guy who chases pitches and has a big looping swing. He's looking more like Jacque Jones everyday. Not a bad player but.....He and Sano are going to be feast or famine guys and there has been plenty of famine thus far. They are not kids anymore. Rosario is 26 and Miguel is soon to turn 25. Sano has been in the league long enough now to know better and he seems to be stuck in a holding pattern. It doesn't seem he is going to hit for any kind of average, he is way too heavy and he strikes out way too much. Add to that the offseason allegations and it is very concerning. I am very disappointed in Polanco. I thought the guy was a polished player. He seemed smart and yet he is busted for STEROIDS? So now he misses half a season. Brilliant job. What kind of BS is that?? And then there is Byron Buxton. I don't know what it is, but so many Twins fans look the other way with this guy because he has already been anointed. I see so many holes in his game and to not be worried about him at this point is irrational to me. The guy's game is predicated on his speed and that isn't going to last. He isn't going to last long playing defense like a Kamakaze and that kind of thing seems to be a source of pride for him. He really needs to reign it in or his career will come to an end fast. The injuries are already mounting and he just cannot seem to pull it together offensively. Sure, he has had a few streaks that lasted a month or so, but on the balance his bat has been subpar (and that is being kind). He was billed as a five tool player. He is most certainly not that. I don't care how many circus catches he makes and how fast he is. If his OPS is going hover around .700 he is not a complete player. These four players were supposed to be an integral part of this lineup and in my view, these four are a major MAJOR disappointment thus far. I don't like to lump players together like this, but when people were talking about this offense and what it could do a lot of weight was put on these four. Molitor and his staff inherit a lot of the blame for this, in my opinion. I think the mindset in that clubhouse is way WAY off. When you have your longest tenured veteran deciding to bunt in his first at bat in a series at Yankee Stadium you have problems. There was literally no dialogue about that for some reason. The chances of Joe successfully laying down a bunt there was less than 20%, I guarantee you that. I'll eat my hat if he has more than a handful of bunt hits in his entire career. He had a much better chance just standing in there giving a professional at bat. Instead he did that and all his teammates got to see just how mentally invested he was in turning around their fortunes. After all the years of losing there THAT is what he does. Not a good tone setter. And for Molitor to not openly question that is wrong. He could have said, "I wish Joe would have given us an at bat there rather than attempting a bunt" Simple constructive criticism you would expect from a manager. It makes you wonder if he is anything more than a figurehead. If you are trying to bring along young players that is the last thing you want. This is a very confused bunch under Molitor. Seems he can only shrug his shoulders. He and his staff has done a very poor job this year. A very poor job.

That and Votto's OPS is just weee bit higher than Joe's the last eight seasons or so. Just a little. But they both walk and are both named Joe so...ya know

He already walked three times and here he is with a chance to do something with his bat. Nope. He is going to take strikes until he gets two strikes on him. Sheesh

Walks nice, but RBIs are better right now Joe

Describing the action and simply speaking in real time kind of lends a discussion that can appear to be negative. I feel like we are being set up.

Why won't our guys play along? And an error just to make sure Joey Votto can get another at bat this inning

To everyone watching, this is like when you clean out the refrigerator. YOu know that tuna sandwich has been in there for almost a week and yet you need to take one last whiff just before you toss it in the trash.

I guess I wasn't trying hard enough. Sorry about that

Phil Hughesless

Is the place to go to for Twins rehab?

I would agree, but a good team doesn't waste a start like that.

THe underlined. I would love to give that same speech to this group just to see the looks in their eyes. Not sure most of them actually believe you. Not from what I have seen. I am very pissed off with the offensive display thus far.

Um yeah. We've been outscored 22-4 so the umpiring isn't what I'm concerned about. Not sure exactly what the record is at Yankee Stadium from the beginning of the Gardenhire era to now, but it is surely pathetic. Molitor seems to have the players in the same trance Gardy had them whenever it was time to play in that stadium. We can go on and on about "an ace" but unless we actually can hit in that stadium we are not climbing out of this any time soon. Always seems like we can't do a damn thing offensively. We were gifted with four errors and scored three runs. We faced an aging CC Sabathia and a very shaky Dellin Betances. Still we played like weeping grandmothers.

We aren't going to bunt our way out of this funk in NY. Asking guys like Mauer, Sano, Morrison, almost anyone makes no sense. I bet it would take a whole lot of attempts for any of them to lay down a successful bunt and in the process they'd get behind on the count, or pop up or screw up in some way because they don't know how to do it effectively. Have we learned nothing from the station to station ball Gardy would have us play? THat just doesn't work here. Maybe MAYBE if you are playing a weak National League team, but sure heck not here. THat has been proven over and over

We can be specific in this case. He bunted in a situation where he had no business doing so. I don't like the mindset out of him there. He isn't Luis Aparacio. He is a BAD bunter. TO anyone saying he's a genius for trying this, please get back to me on how many bunt hits he actually has in his career. Do that then re-assess the strategy

No, he isn't a genius because I give him less of a chance of getting on base via a bunt than he would just standing up there with the bat on his shoulder looking for a walk. I don't like anyone bunting in the first inning especially Mr. 2,000. He is supposed to be the best hitter on the team and he is the guy with the longest tenure. By bunting in that situation he lets the pitcher off the hook. He also guarantees that he won't hit a ball that travels more than 50 feet. Nothing smart about that unless he is a very skilled bunter and he is most certainly not. In general it is unsound for a lumbering first baseman to bunt in that situation. Add to it the fact that Joe has been on the losing end a billion times at Yankee Stadium. His season ended there three different times and we seem lose there 90% of the time. The place is a band box. What about beating the shift by pulling the ball down the left field line? Small ball NEVER has worked against the Yankees. You would think Joe'd understand that.