Game7-91

Yes and yes. This is a good thing. 12 year olds? That us truly sick.

Is the question headlining the post limited to the Twins?

Nick, kudos to you and TD staff for hanging on through this craziness, providing insightful analysis and content throughout. There are many ways I could describe your takes on these issues, but stupid is not among them. I am regularly challenged to reconsider my opinions by your and other TD articles and the discussions that ensue. TD offers excellence, fairness, fascinating features and a place where many varying opinions can be offered within a community that cares deeply about all of the issues plaguing MLB. This lockout is wearying and maddening in so many ways, but dont lose heart. This too shall pass they say. You and TD are the very best at what you do. And, there is much more these guys have to fight about, so there is lots more to cover. For example, this just in from MLBTR: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/canceled-regular-season-games-raise-the-possibility-for-a-dispute-regarding-service-time.html

Roughly 8% of prospects will play a single game in MLB, about 6% will stick around a bit longer and gave any kind if impact. How to figure out which 6 if that 100 person cohort can succeed, and which 94 need to sell insurance? And do the same eval's for every other org in MLB, prepared to taje advantage of their oversights. And constantly update the evolving lists for every team. No wonder theyre hiring rocket scientists to model the info flow. Of course, they could hire dart throwers, and maybe would have similar success over time.? Seems like a massive crapshoot.

Tom Verducci posted a provocative article yesterday in SI addressing MLB's issues, those addressed in the CBA negotiations, and those that are not. https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/02/22/baseballs-greatest-threat?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story An exec summary can be summed up with this quote: "The players are now fighting to recover from a system they didn’t see coming in 2016: an analytics-driven, risk-averse, youth-leaning game that is built on keeping the ball out of play. Their beef should be framed less against “greedy owners” and more against the front-office efficiency experts who over the length of this CBA usurped from field personnel the power to determine how baseball is played. And later, "A CBA that began with 2,111 more hits than strikeouts ended with 2,661 more strikeouts than hits. Active yielded to passive. Players should care because it is about more than aesthetics. It is also about jobs and pay. Analytics conspired against older players, left-handed pull hitters, veteran bench players, pitchers with options and speed players without power." I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, although not with every conclusion Verducci draws from it. But the trajectory of his argument strikes home for me. A look back at the effects of the last CBA gives us reason to anticipate what comes from the CBA apparently, hopefully, emerging today. Not wanting to count the chickens before the hatch, but the question is begged in light of these developments: What;s next for MLB? Imho much remains open about the quality of the game itself beyond the distribution of dollars. Wondering what TD readers think, and hope for when MLB resumes. At the end of the day, it remains a very good thing that we can anticipate the resumption of baseball activities.

Thanks Ted for great reporting and follow through. MLBTR reporting good chance settlement later today.

Twins need to hire Frankie Sweet Music to teach Ryan that circle change. Would work just as well from the rt side and sure give a little more pop to that upzone 90. ?

Where is he now? Article from last summer, connected with Pensacola: https://www.pnj.com/story/sports/2021/06/28/divided-time-pensacola-seagulls-created-unifying-baseball-community/5373449001/

1965 WS b4 my time but what a great video and recap of his career. Trailblazer indeed. We are all the better for his skill, dedication, and resiliency. And what a great Game 6 memory....never saw that video b4, or knew he homered, pitched a CG shutout on 2 days....the game has changed. And how cool was that brilliant mid afternoon October sunshine WS game, Oct 13th, took 2hr's 16 min's. Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

Great report, and good to hear non40 guys are underway. This article brings home how disruptive the last 2 yrs have been, and for some this 3rd year ...how much potential has been lost in the chaos. Hopefully these guys can get back on track. Really interesting to hear the housing benefits improved at higher levels. If Twins want to get ahead of the curve the team would purchase or supply the same for all levels of minor league system. Would certainly help balance low wages. App-aw-lah-chian? Lay me down with a feather. Learn something new every day.

Great points, and totally agree. If they could deal for Maeda-like contract, that's more consistent. But those contracts are rare, who else is similiar in production and contract, and potentially available? More likely they look for another Odo-type deal as you thought, maybe just Odo himsekf part 2, What is clear enough is that it needs to be quality production, or projectible quality, at team-friendly dollars abd length. I think your statement abt A's and Reds is right. If they trade, its somewhere else.

Thanks Ted for raising ideas and realistic possibilities. I am admittedly confused by the direction of this FO, or lack thereof. Declining chance to extend Berrios, trading him for 2 prospects/suspects, no FA signings b4 lockout when E. Rodriguez was willing to take 5/77-a contract seemingly in Twins wheelhouse-but no apparent attempt to sign him.....now looking to trade prospects to obtain a SP that will presumably be Berrios- esque quality. It seems to me so circular. Whats the point of adding 2 prospects, only to trade 2 or more 6 months later for a guy to replace Berrios? Musical chairs. Throwing darts at the prospect board and hoping one is the bullseye? But apparently if that prospect develops to Berrios, or Rodriquez, level, Twins wont sign him long-term. I just dont understand the long game. Feels like Twins are trying to thread a very fine needle here to maximize value b4 having to pay market rate, or length, to maintain it. The prospect dart board never ends.

Love the story and history. I came to TD via Seth Speaks, it's been nothing but highest quality since. Attributable to the vision, hard work, and good beer that makes TD the best sports site anywhere. I hope all of you know what a great community you have built and sustained through pandemic and now lockout. Thank you to everyone who makes TD a special place to hang out.

Hunter Greene lost one season to TJ recovery, then covid season. Was up to aaa last year, would easily be Twins'#1 pitching prospect. McKay had thoracic outlet surgery after promising start in mlb. Both Greene and McKay signed for more bonus $$ than did Lewis. Projectability was not the only criteria in play during that draft. Lewis might be great someday, but there is no confusion that Twins value discounts on bonuses, so they can spend over slot on lesser prospects in later rounds, more than they value the projectability of a potentially generational talent like Hunter Greene. Quantity over quality....but also pennies over dollars. It strikes me as a strange way of building talent and prospect value in minor leagues.

The baseball gods have not been kind to young mr lewis the last 3 yrs. MLB could have given that covid season back for Rule5 purposes, but that would have been a decent thing to do. Too late now. But maybe its not just all fate at work. The 40 man roster has been set for over 100 yrs in mlb. Would it be too much to ask our warring heroes to consider updating/modernizing roster structures? Org's investments in drafting and developing players, both in money and time, and the extremely low chance of success of any one player having a sustantial mlb career, points to a need to expand mlb rosters and extend milb service time prior to R5 draft. Expand to 45 man rosters, and set age 25 as threshold for R5 eilgibility-these do not seem unreasonable updates to a creaky, antiquated system. Players should be given greater chance to develop within the system that signed them. Once the R5 merrygoround starts its over for most- the disruptions to consistency in development when bouncing around one org to another have to negatively impact guys on the margins. Give irg's greater opportunity to polish guys who fall behind or just need more time. There is talent on the margins beyond utility fillers or transient BP help. One wonders how many other Badoos were pigeon-holed too early because of injury, circumstance, or marginal-but-developable skills and subsequently lost to history simply because of a constrained, inefficent rostering system. MLB has creatively adapted to changing needs over tge last century, why is the rostering system still stuck in 1910? A detailed listing of roster limits throughout major league history follows. In-season Year(s) # Dates Off-season 1879-1882 5 Reserve limit 1883 11 Reserve limit 1884 25 25 1885-1886 12 Reserve limit 1887-1891 14 Reserve limit 1892 15 6/1892 13 14 1893-1898 14 1899-1900 18 Reserve limit 1901 NL 16 Cutdown date 6/15 AL 15 O/D + 28 days N/A 1902-1909 NL N/A 1902-1903 AL 15 6/1 N/A 1904 AL 16 N/A Cutdown date 6/1 1905 AL 17 N/A Cutdown date 6/15 1906-1909 AL N/A 1910 25 5/15-8/20 40 1911-1913 25 5/15-8/20 35 1914 N/A N/A 1915-1916 NL 21 5/1-8/31 35 AL 25 5/15-8/15 35 1917-1919 NL 22 5/15-8/31 35 1917 AL 25 5/1-8/31 35 1918 AL N/A N/A 1919-1920 25 5/15-8/31 35 1921-1922 25 5/15-8/31 40 1923-1931 25 6/15-8/31 40 1932 23 6/15-8/31 40 1933-1938 23 5/15-8/31 40 1939-1941 25 31st day-8/31 40 1942 25 5/25-8/31 40 1943 25 31st day-8/31 40 1944 25 6/15-8/31 40 1945 30 6/15-8/31 48 1946 30 6/15-8/31 48 1947-1956 25 31st day-8/31 40 1957-1961 28 O/D+30 days 40 25 31st day-8/31 1962-1965 same as 41 including 1 drafted first year player 1966-1967 1957-1961 40 1968-1989 25 O/D-8/31 40 1990 27 O/D-5/1 40 Due to lockout during spring training 25 5/1-8/31 1991- 25 O/D-8/31 40 Sources-Baseball Blue Book, 1910-1986; The Sporting News, The Sporting Life, New York Times, Reach Guide, Spalding Guide, 1900 National League Constitution, 1990 Basic Agreement

Great story. This is the kind of content that makes TD the best pro sports site there is? And Patrick Mahomes looks like he has seriously mad baseball chops, got his dad's arm plus some. Great story, and video!

....and it appears that will be every game after June 1st.

Gagne was partially developed by Twins, I believe 2 yrs in Twins minors after Smalley trade. Twins get partial credit for his and also Guzman's development. But thats a long time since Guzman, so yes, we have an issue, and not having drafted and developed a frontline SS is a red flag. Twins need to dedicate more resources to evaluating, drafting, developing talent at all levels of org, with emphasis on pitching, catchers, SS and CF's.

BINGO! Amazing, is it not, that a viable business strategy is to accept a producing a far inferior product to the competition, in the hopes that one day, for a brief moment, your product-in-development will mature to the point of becoming competitive. But if you working that strategy, you surely know your window of potential competitiveness is so slim, that you will recycle back into inferiority, and loop through this cycle, with only the faintest hope that your product in development will ever mature to the point of being competitive at the highest level. And just accepting that this is a viable business model, because there is no penalty for failure, no possibility of going broke, because your business is publicly subsidized, or more truthfully said publicly extorted, and also communally supported by the more successful competitors who have a vested interest in maintaining your position. This is not a business. Closer to a racket.

Yes please. We need this, especially now..........

Indeed. In reality MLB created Designated Fielder (pitcher) as much as DH...flip side of the same coin. If we want to really think out of the box, why not to expand on that, and allow for an additional DF/DH in each lineup. Do we really need to see A Simmons take another at-bat? But he still has value at SS. Why not allow an additional roster spot, and have managers designate a fielding specialist for each game, at position of choice, and with that add one more DH to each line up? Better quality defense and offense results.

As the NFL marked the end of its season with the presentation of the Super Bowl Trophy, I thought it might be a fun distraction from the gloom and doom of the current state of MLB to determine which pro sports league has the best championship trophy. For my part, I watched the presentation of the Super Bowl trophy, and have to say it seemed quite underwhelming to me. With all the build-up and over the top spectacle that only the NFL can provide, I look for something more substantial, not anticlimactic . This does not rise to the occasion imho. NFL, you can do better! Your trophy reminds me of Spinal Tap's Stonehenge monument in concert: Spinal Tap.mp4 MLB Commissioner's Trophy is more substantial, but really, if it can be coddled like a toddler, it falls behind #1 on my list. And Manfred's infamous quote a few years back, "It's just a piece of metal", well, too close to the truth my friend. And by the way, how could the wind blow these pennants in two different directions simultaneously? The pennant poles remind me of Covid test nasal swabs. And I dont like that. Time to update the design boys. The NBA OBrien trophy? Just doesnt cut it. When an extended index finger is 25% of the length of the trophy, well, lets just say this one needs a lot of help. Although it wins the award for Shiniest, overall this is just a weak, weak entrant. And finally, my #1. A few years back, when I was about 7, my older brother had graduated into junior high gym class, and with that, proudly hung his strap-and-cup outfit over the bed leg as proof positive of his coming of age. He told me only real men get to wear cups, and someday, if I stopped being a dweeb, I might get the privilege too, but it had to be earned. When I later overheard a few of the Big People in my house talking about who would get to skate the Stanley Cup, I wondered who Stanley was, and why would anyone want to skate around showing off his piece of personal protection equipment. But then seeing the ritual and celebration on the tube, I was hooked. I don't watch hockey much, at all actually, but will always tune in for the game when Lord Stanley's Cup will be presented, and the Der Mensch of the pro hockey world get to Skate the Cup, in a ritual that approaches religious transcendence. This is a Real Trophy. Lifting it recognizes effort, as it should. Retaining the names of all those who have gone before. Handing on the one and same trophy. It all adds up to a clear winner in my book. What is your favorite trophy? Are you optimistic that MLB will present a 2022 World Series Championship Commissioner's Trophy? Will the Twins claim Commissioners trophy #3? This year, or ever? Hope springs eternal, here's to the Champions, and to the hope we will celebrate a MLB champion come November, December, whenever, in 2022.

A succinct summation of the Twins Way

Thank you, great insights into all the work going on....dedicated staff for all these platforms! I never could have guessed. Shout outs today to Heather and Twins media staff?

Great story, as Tiantwindup said, these stories are what makes TD special. Never heard of Ron Henry until today, and really thankful TD and Seth are willing to create content like this and support BHM. Makes today a better day, thank you! Also never knew Denny McLain played the old Diamond Jim's. Fun facts, thanks Rosterman for that.