OT: September Twins?!?

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:
Hope they keep Molitor, worried he and Levine can't get along.  Would be great combo if they can work it, Levine's personnel strategy and Molitor's game day logistics.

I too like Molitor as the skipper,  but his handling of the pitchers and some of his other game day decisions are suspect at best.  strategy wise I think he makes some good calls,  but personnel wise he has a ways to go. 

[Guest]

I actually cheered OUTLOUD after Polanco singled in those two runs in the 9th.  That may have been the most excitement I've had for them this entire season (or several seasons).

Fun win against a good rival.  Still hanging tough...

Go Twins!

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said:

@BigAl99 said:
Hope they keep Molitor, worried he and Levine can't get along.  Would be great combo if they can work it, Levine's personnel strategy and Molitor's game day logistics.

I too like Molitor as the skipper,  but his handling of the pitchers and some of his other game day decisions are suspect at best.  strategy wise I think he makes some good calls,  but personnel wise he has a ways to go. 

The pitching rotation would make most coaches look bad.  Besides Santana and Berrios, day to day you don't know, as my father used to say, "if they can pitch biscuits to a hungry pup" 

[Guest]

with as shaky and unreliable as his bull pen guys are,  its asinine to take out a starter who is rolling along nicely and do the statistical thing and bring in a relief pitcher just because conventional wisdom says to.   I've seen him on at least 5 occasions take out a guy who is doing fine because the match up suggests it and bring a reliever in who gets shelled and loses the game.  Go with the hot hand until it cools or at least shows signs of cooling.   He also will stick with a struggling pitcher way to long at times.

Paul and his staff may not have the best pitchers,  but the way they use them might be part of the problems they have.

[Guest]

At least he's gonna get a whole even season from from Santana ( I hope). Are injuries and dead arms down this year?  Could be taking a whole season approach and pitching like he has a pen.  Don't know, TK and Gardy always seemed to get the same criticism.  All good baseball men, one thing I have always liked about the team. 

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:
At least he's gonna get a whole even season from from Santana ( I hope). Are injuries and dead arms down this year?  Could be taking a whole season approach and pitching like he has a pen.  Don't know, TK and Gardy always seemed to get the same criticism.  All good baseball men, one thing I have always liked about the team. 

nah,  its not a pitch count thing on these,  its playing text book baseball,  unfortunately sometimes you have to just watch the situation.  I think the managers should sometimes have a guy in their ear that is watching the broadcast so they can see their pitchers facial expressions better.  A pitchers face will often tell you more than the results at the plate.

[Guest]

There's the 5 games that we can recall that he pulled the starter and lost the game..... Then there's the other 157 games. 

[Guest]

@Mike Olson said:
There's the 5 games that we can recall that he pulled the starter and lost the game..... Then there's the other 157 games. 

meaning what?  he has made the apparent wrong call way more often than that,  its just that it didnt end up as a loss or I have put it out of my mind,  and I dont watch every game,  but quite a few.

[Guest]

I guess what I mean by that is that baseball is a "by the numbers game", and while it is definitely MORE that way now, it has always been a by the numbers game. I don't like seeing pitchers put on a pitch count either but the game isn't just that game. IF it was they wouldn't have Managers. They would have coaches.  162 games is a LONG stretch and sure pitchers don't play every game but, let's say towards the end of the year you start leaving your starter in. Chances are his arm already has some fatigue in it, and the risk of injury goes up quite a bit because of that fatigue. That is the reason for the pitch counts.  

Now let's say the set up guy comes in, or some other reliever and that guy gives up the lead. That is the guy that failed. Not the manager for doing his job. It's his job to put in the guy that statistically has the best chance to succeed. In the end the other team still puts guys up to bat that also want to win. 

I too long for the past where pitchers threw complete games, but pitchers of those days would likely get eaten alive by the power and performance of hitters today. 

[Guest]

@Mike Olson said:
I guess what I mean by that is that baseball is a "by the numbers game", and while it is definitely MORE that way now, it has always been a by the numbers game. I don't like seeing pitchers put on a pitch count either but the game isn't just that game. IF it was they wouldn't have Managers. They would have coaches.  162 games is a LONG stretch and sure pitchers don't play every game but, let's say towards the end of the year you start leaving your starter in. Chances are his arm already has some fatigue in it, and the risk of injury goes up quite a bit because of that fatigue. That is the reason for the pitch counts.  

Now let's say the set up guy comes in, or some other reliever and that guy gives up the lead. That is the guy that failed. Not the manager for doing his job. It's his job to put in the guy that statistically has the best chance to succeed. In the end the other team still puts guys up to bat that also want to win. 

I too long for the past where pitchers threw complete games, but pitchers of those days would likely get eaten alive by the power and performance of hitters today. 

there are times to go with the odds,  and there are times to stretch them out.  pulling a pitcher in the 7th when they have been cruising along and really havent shown much in terms of struggle IMO is never a smart move unless their count is extremely high for them.  he does the same to his relievers,  always wants to work the matchups and then if his start struggles the next game or two and he gets in trouble because he has no fresh arms to bring in.  he will find it,  but if a lump like me can see it pretty plainly at times,  as a fan its frustrating that a HOF player like Moli doesnt.

 I also dont really subscribe to much to the arm fatigue thing for starters,  with 4 and 5 man rotations I think these days the pitchers need to build better endurance and learn to change speeds more to preserve their arms.