Stick a fork in Hunter, he is done.

[DaveW]

Terrible signing. Hopefully the Twins find a way to trade him or cut bait before to long. Or he could do the honorable thing and just retire/give the rest of his salary back to the Twins.

 

His "Leadership" skills clearly aren't paying off much at all as well.

 

Thanks for nothing this time around Torii! Enjoy that 10 million you conned Ryan out of.

[GCTF]

Retrospective video coming soon?

[Gene Larkin Fan Club]

Good morning, Sunshine!

[Brandon Warne]

 

Terrible signing. Hopefully the Twins find a way to trade him or cut bait before to long. Or he could do the honorable thing and just retire/give the rest of his salary back to the Twins.

 

His "Leadership" skills clearly aren't paying off much at all as well.

 

Thanks for nothing this time around Torii! Enjoy that 10 million you conned Ryan out of.

 

Just so we're clear, it isn't even 20 games into the season, right? Hunter started out pretty good last year but had an OPS beginning with a 6 near midseason before picking it back up. Last year in June -- incidentally, 20 games -- he hit just .194/.211/.278. Let's slow down just a little bit.

 

Incidentally, I think we'll find his clubhouse stuff to be appreciated by teammates after he's gone. The vibe is certainly different in there right now, whether it's because of him, Molitor, or someone else.

[kellyvance]

Someone please take the vodka away from Dave. 

 

I'd like to see how Dave would feel if his new employer reviewed his performance and considerd firing him after 20 days on the job.

 

This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act. Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played  in his career and he deserves better.  He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players and that is why he was signed. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Someone please take the vodka away from Dave. 

 

I'd like to see how Dave would feel if his new employer reviewed his performance and considerd firing him after 20 days on the job.

 

This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act. Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played  in his career and he deserves better.  He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players and that is why he was signed. 

 

Which young player has he helped so far this year be better?

 

frankly, he never should have been signed in the first place.

[jimmer]

 

Someone please take the vodka away from Dave. 

 

I'd like to see how Dave would feel if his new employer reviewed his performance and considerd firing him after 20 days on the job.

 

This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act. Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played  in his career and he deserves better.  He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players and that is why he was signed. 

'This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act.'

 

-Torii is a class act? Really? That's EXTREMELY debatable.

 

'Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played  in his career'

 

-Torii has played on some good teams.  He's been fortunate that way.  

 

'He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players'

 

-There's no proof this is true, regardless of the narrative this team has pushed. It certainly isn't fact. And, on top of that, a few of the guys he's supposed to mentor aren't even here yet.

 

'that is why he was signed.'

 

- Signed to sell tickets to people with fond memories of his glroy days with us.  If he was only signed to mentor kids, they should have offered him a coaching gig, not 10M.

[teekz]

Hunter kind of reminds you of a 2010 Griffey Jr.

[Hrbowski]

The problem is not Torii Hunter, he isn't the problem anymore than Willingham was last year, and if you think that cutting Hunter will help the Twins win games it won't. I think that people just hate Hunter because he is conservative.

[Linus]

Well if they want to cut him I have one question: which outfielder from our minor league system do you propose takes his place?

[Mike Sixel]

 

The problem is not Torii Hunter, he isn't the problem anymore than Willingham was last year, and if you think that cutting Hunter will help the Twins win games it won't. I think that people just hate Hunter because he is conservative.

 

Bull. A: I don't hate Torii Hunter, he's just not a good baseball player. B: Your statement is insulting to fans who want a good product on the field. Really insulting.

[Parker Hageman]

I'm not ready to say he's done. 

 

Bad plate discipline aside, when he does put the ball in play in some ways he's gotten the short end of the stick. ESPN/TruMedia says he's got the team's third-highest well-hit average (.182) but one of the lower BABIPs on the team (.245). If he continues to hit the ball well at that clip, the BABIP should increase. 

 

Batting him fourth was a big disservice. He saw more breaking balls and out of zone pitches but was locked in on trying to be the guy to drive people in. Switching him to hitting second has shown better results in the short-term. 

 

Cleanup: 24 PA .136/.167/.303 1/5 BB/K

Second: 45 PA .262/.311/.420 3/7 BB/K

 

As he told me in the spring, there is a big difference in his approach between trying to be a run producer and a table-setter:

 

http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/older-and-wiser-torii-hunter-continues-to-hit-r3526 

 

Give it time. He can hit. Defensively...that's gonna be another story. 

[PogueBear]

 

Terrible signing. Hopefully the Twins find a way to trade him or cut bait before to long. Or he could do the honorable thing and just retire/give the rest of his salary back to the Twins.

 

His "Leadership" skills clearly aren't paying off much at all as well.

 

Thanks for nothing this time around Torii! Enjoy that 10 million you conned Ryan out of.

Wow.  Other than that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln? 

 

Since this seems to be the "small sample size hot-takes" forum, here are a few of my own:

 

BYRON BUXTON IS ONLY BATTING .210 AT AA!!  I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE FANFARE IS ABOUT!? HE IS ALREADY WAY OLDER THAN MIKE TROUT WAS WHEN HE MADE IT TO THE BIGS.

 

PAUL MOLITOR'S CAREER WINNING PERCENTAGE IS WAAAAY BELOW .500.  HE IS A TERRIBLE MANAGER!!

 

PHIL HUGHES 2014 SEASON WAS AN OUTLIER!  HE STINKS NOW!!

[twinsnorth49]

I disliked the signing then and I still dislike it now, and I'll dislike it in June and September as well. Still don't get what the point of it was.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Wow.  Other than that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln? 

 

Since this seems to be the "small sample size hot-takes" forum, here are a few of my own:

 

BYRON BUXTON IS ONLY BATTING .210 AT AA!!  I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE FANFARE IS ABOUT!? HE IS ALREADY WAY OLDER THAN MIKE TROUT WAS WHEN HE MADE IT TO THE BIGS.

 

PAUL MOLITOR'S CAREER WINNING PERCENTAGE IS WAAAAY BELOW .500.  HE IS A TERRIBLE MANAGER!!

 

PHIL HUGHES 2014 SEASON WAS AN OUTLIER!  HE STINKS NOW!!

But uh, Hunter is 39 and nearing the end of is career, he shouldn't be near an outfield, especially one which needs as much help as the Twins outfield.

[kellyvance]

If you are going to see errors in the OF, they may as well be made by an old friend you will forgive time after time. 

--unofficial offseason motto of the Minnesota Twins 2014. 

 

 

[Hrbowski]

 

Bull. A: I don't hate Torii Hunter, he's just not a good baseball player. B: Your statement is insulting to fans who want a good product on the field. Really insulting.

Well, if we cut Hunter we should also cut Arcia and replace them with Farris and Hicks. At this point in the season we won't be able to find a better outfielder than them, all that is available are AAA players, and there is no reason to cut Hunter, pay him his 10 mil, and bring in someone who is worse.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Well if they want to cut him I have one question: which outfielder from our minor league system do you propose takes his place?

 

How about Danny Ortiz?  Or why not give Aaron Hicks his final shot, since it's possible he'll be on the next division winning team, but Torii Hunter absolutely won't be.  Or why not have Santana play outfield, and let Escobar play every day at short?

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

The problem is not Torii Hunter, he isn't the problem anymore than Willingham was last year, and if you think that cutting Hunter will help the Twins win games it won't. I think that people just hate Hunter because he is conservative.

 

You can debate whether cutting Hunter will help the Twins win games this year (I am of the mind that since cutting him would improve our outfield defense without taking away much offense, it very well could).  However, cutting Hunter won't make us lose games this year, and if a younger gets to accelerate his development, it could definitely help us win games next year, when it might actually mean something.

[Cap'n Piranha]

 

Well, if we cut Hunter we should also cut Arcia and replace them with Farris and Hicks. At this point in the season we won't be able to find a better outfielder than them, all that is available are AAA players, and there is no reason to cut Hunter, pay him his 10 mil, and bring in someone who is worse.

 

Why would we cut Arcia?  If you can't tell the difference between a 24 year old with upside, and a 39 year old with downside, I don't know what to tell you.

[mickeymental]

but ... but ... but ... what about all those teams torii's great leadership has led to the world series?

[gunnarthor]

 

 I think that people just hate Hunter because he is conservative.

 Threads like this get ugly, really quick.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Well, if we cut Hunter we should also cut Arcia and replace them with Farris and Hicks. At this point in the season we won't be able to find a better outfielder than them, all that is available are AAA players, and there is no reason to cut Hunter, pay him his 10 mil, and bring in someone who is worse.

 

Is this serious? Hunter is 39, at the end of his career, and this is a rebuilding team.......and I actually never commented on what should happen now that they made the mistake. I commented on him a: not being signed in the first place, and b: your insulting attitude that people can't not want him for the quality of his play. 

[D. Hocking]

 

Which young player has he helped so far this year be better?

 

 

 

It is a little too early to tell how it will work out -- but there are some signs young Joe Mauer has potential to be better this year.  I think we know who we can thank for that. 

[Linus]

 

It is a little too early to tell how it will work out -- but there are some signs young Joe Mauer has potential to be better this year.  I think we know who we can thank for that. 

I assume that would be Joe Mauer.  This whole leadership thing is so overblown.  TR went out of his way to downplay that when they signed him.  Its been repeated so often on these boards that people assume it to be fact.

[twinsnorth49]

Mod note: Let's stick to discussion about Hunter as it pertains to his ability to play baseball (or inspire others to play better) people. If you want to bring up personal or political reasons for why some don't like Hunter, do it in the Sports Bar where it belongs.

 

We don't want people gettin' warning points now do we?

 

Thanks

[Hrbowski]

 

Why would we cut Arcia?  If you can't tell the difference between a 24 year old with upside, and a 39 year old with downside, I don't know what to tell you.

Well, he isn't even playing, and when he does he has been just as bad of a fielder and a worse hitter than Hunter, so if we cut Hunter we should also cut Arcia. Arcia's ceiling at this point seems to be a well below average fielder, and a hitter who is trying to be Adam Dunn but isn't good enough. Torii Hunter is a player that some people say is just that minus the Adam Dunn part. Age shouldn't matter, performance should, and I am sorry to say that Hunter has played just as well as any Twin not named Joe Mauer.

[DaveW]

Someone please take the vodka away from Dave.

 

I'd like to see how Dave would feel if his new employer reviewed his performance and considerd firing him after 20 days on the job.

 

This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act. Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played in his career and he deserves better. He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players and that is why he was signed.

I have fired someone before in less than 20 days, I find it better to cut your losses early. Proven winner? I dunno what that even means. Class act? I disagree but that has nothing to do with my point.

 

Can't field, can barely hit due to the fact he swings at everything. Just a big waste of money/dissapointment, which is a shame because he was one of my favorite players his first time here. I don't blame him though, Ryan is the one who offered him about 7 million more then he should have.

[DaveW]

Well, he isn't even playing, and when he does he has been just as bad of a fielder and a worse hitter than Hunter, so if we cut Hunter we should also cut Arcia. Arcia's ceiling at this point seems to be a well below average fielder, and a hitter who is trying to be Adam Dunn but isn't good enough. Torii Hunter is a player that some people say is just that minus the Adam Dunn part. Age shouldn't matter, performance should, and I am sorry to say that Hunter has played just as well as any Twin not named Joe Mauer.

Terrible analogy. Arica is a decade and a half younger and 10x+ cheaper.

[Dantes929]

 

Someone please take the vodka away from Dave. 

 

I'd like to see how Dave would feel if his new employer reviewed his performance and considerd firing him after 20 days on the job.

 

This post is unfair to a guy that is a class act. Torii has been a proven winner everywhere he played  in his career and he deserves better.  He will make a huge difference in the development of our younger players and that is why he was signed. 

Proven winner?  We won more game after he left than we did his last season here.   If you want to talk about proven winners then you would probably be better off talking about LNP.    I would prefer the 25 year old fast athletic Hunter before he "proved"  anything.   

I didn't love this signing and the only way I could defend it was by saying he was a better defensive outfielder than Willingham.    That is NOT to say I think he is a good defensive outfielder but I still believe he is better than Josh was that final year.     Willingham also gave us very little offensively last year and I am hoping this 20 game stretch is just a slump rather than a drained battery.