Twins01

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 26, 2010 -> 03:46 PM) At least it's a point that can be argued. Here's my counter-point. Valencia is a guy who came up very slowly through the minors. Both Valencia and Morel have career minor league OPS right around .820. Morel, however, shot upwards; he's putting up .825-.850 OPS in AA and AAA at age 23 this year. At age 23, Valencia was starting the season in high-A ball. Normally, hitting at a higher level at a younger age is an indicator of greater degree of success. It's actually an interesting comparison the more I look at it. Valencia was putting up decent numbers in AA at age 23, but the Twins took a lot more time with him and kept him down there, despite frankly having a weakness at 3b most of these years. The Sox have been much more aggressive with promoting Morel than the Twins were with Valencia. I wonder if that is a reflection of how the Twins are able to get these guys who come up and perform right away so often, versus the Sox where we bring up a Beckham or someone like that and have to endure months of struggling. Valencia yesterday had two homeruns and two errors. Gardy didn't want to bring him up at the start of the year because of his defense. Then when he was called up he played defense above his head. Now he is booting balls all over the place. People keep saying the Twins have their normal good defense this year just because they have only something like 73 errors for the season. The truth is that the defense is suspect. They can't make the plays in the field. Alexi made more big plays at shortstop then the whole Twins team put together. Valencia failed an easy double play ball today and then we gave up a 3 run shot. In the playoffs, late in games I'm going to be peeing in my pants in fright when AROD lines a bullet into left field. God I'm getting sick worring about it. Sorry..off subject. High hopes for Valencia but Craig Nettles he is not nor will ever be.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Sep 26, 2010 -> 01:09 PM) This kids, is what we call a troll. Hi troll! Why am I a troll? Because I believe Valencia will be better then Morel? Very odd comment.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 25, 2010 -> 11:59 AM) How the hell do you know Valencia will be better than Morel? You got a crystal ball? Laughing at the criticism of Gardy wearing out the bullpen. All fans second guess their managers, folks, even the great Gardy (on here) gets second guessed. But Ozzie ... he just sucks. Greg, Like I say, I have been reading post on here for more then 2 years and know that you deem any negative comments about a manger a horrific sin. Gardy is a great manager but that desn't mean there can't be any criticism of the man. Do I have a Crystal Ball...no. but I do have an opinion and it goes like this...Valencia >>>>>>Morel. Valencia will be an average fielder and will never be as good as Morel with the glove but his bat will be much better then Morel.

•Adds more teams to the playoff race without adding more team to the playoffs. •Adds excitement, via a one-game, win-or-go-home playoff, to the Wildcard teams. •It creates a genuine disadvantage/disincentive for the Wildcard vs. the division winners. •Makes division races with two runaway teams (like the current meaningless one between the Yankees and Rays) become important Very Intereting. I'm assuming the 2nd wild card team would have to win the one game play in on the road? The Monday after the last Sunday of the season?

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Sep 25, 2010 -> 11:22 AM) f*** the Twins. And f*** Danny Valencia. I look forward to him hitting .200 next year. Valencia will be a .280 -.290 hitter with 10-12 homeruns and 60-70 RBI'S a season. Valencia will be an average fielder. Valencia takes the pitch to right field too often to become a .200 hitter. Valencia will be a better MLB 3rd baseman then Morel.

Several years ago, Major League Baseball formed a committee to examine expansion but Selig said there were several factors that ended the discussion. Now, he thinks the time is right to revisit it. We have less teams than any other sport [in the playoffs]. Eight teams make the playoffs. One wild card in each league. We certainly haven't abused anything - MLB commissioner Bud Selig "It's a fair question," Selig said Friday before the St. Louis Cardinals played the Chicago Cubs. "We have less teams than any other sport. Eight teams make the playoffs. One wild card in each league. We certainly haven't abused anything." He's not afraid of upsetting the purists, who were vocal in their opposition when the sport added the wild card. "As the guy who brought the wild card and took a lot of abuse -- maybe from nobody in this room -- it's worked out great, nobody's against it," Selig said. Don't screw with it BUD! 8 is perfect. What do you all think?

I'd much rather have the last 10 years of the White Sox then the Twins because of the ring in 2005. I don't blame anyone for thinking the Twins for wasting Central Division Champioships because of getting blown out quickly in the playoffs...... so having said that, let us all bow down our heads and repeat after me. Oh please GOD I pray to you Let my Twins avoid the Yanks. Blessed are the Rangers who will beat the Yanks Give strength to the Twins to overcome the Rays speed. Let the Baby Jesus Mauer rise to defeat the Rangers and take us to the promise land of the World Series, So we can defeat the Demonic Phillies. Amen.

Im rooting for the Twins...ahem We have been beaten by the Yanks in the playoffs because...well...they have been better then us. I wish that wasn't the case but it has been. Our lineup has not been powerful enough and our pitching caves in (Nathan)in the playoffs. Gardy uses his bullpen more then any Manager which gives a couple of more wins a year, but when the playoffs come our bullpen is worn out. Do I think we have a better shot this year? Yes, but only marginally. Our defense is the most overated part of the team and I'm afraid we will boot the ball at the wrong time. Young is a train wreck in left feild, Cuddy is not a first basemen, Span has been surprisingly below average in CF, Hudson can't turn a DP if his life was in danger...ect. Twins defense is extremly overated. We don't make many errors because we can't get to the bleeping balls. My prediction: if Twins can avoid playing the Yankees they will go to the WS. If Twins play Yankees, Yankees crush our hearts again. The biggest misconception on this board when it comes to the Twins is this notion that Gardy is big on hitting guys with pitches. That is not Gardy ball. Sliding too aggressive into bases is Gardy ball, but not nailing guys. Just thought I'd drop that into this discussion. GO TWINS!!!!

As a long time Twins fan and a luker on Soxtalk for the last 2 years I have finally decided to put my foot in the water and discuss some baseball with all of you passionate & knowledgable baseball rubes. What do the Twins do? There are two things that the Twins do which sets them apart from the Whitesox and other teams in the Central. 1. The organiztion does not change over time. Tom Kelly still advises Gardy and the Front Office. The Front Offce has not changed. It's still the same old guys running the place and luckily they just happen to know what they are doing. There is no turnstyle at the Twins office....hell there isn't even a door. 2. They stay extremley patience. They never rush thier players in the farm system. Valencio is just another example of this but you could rattle off 10 other very easily...Span...Cuddyer...Kubel...ect. Sale is a great example of the White Sox looking to slow down this stud. They will start him in the minors or 5th stater next year and they will not press him. White Sox are growing more patience and will benefit from this as time goes on. Thanks for allowing me to post on your great Whitesox board. Hopefully I will not have to post my tears in the first round of the playoffs. Go Twins