tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post1541831032838537293..comments2023-12-19T20:25:36.069-06:00Comments on Nick's Twins Blog: Fielder Hardly Seals DivisionNick N.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00848574337121154690noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-54723921945137254472012-01-31T15:51:12.196-06:002012-01-31T15:51:12.196-06:00Bunt, bunt, bunt, and then bunt some more. Cabrer...Bunt, bunt, bunt, and then bunt some more. Cabrera at 3rd charging balls to throw errant throws to Fielder that he can't pick will be a good sight. Yeah the offense is terrifying, but that infield defense will be absolutely horrendous.Ben Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15386572905584328249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-52848178241425054322012-01-28T19:12:23.420-06:002012-01-28T19:12:23.420-06:00No other pitcher other than Verlander posted an ab...No other pitcher other than Verlander posted an above-average ERA? Fister's was 2.83 (better than anyone on the Twins). Fister was 5-0 with a .53 ERA in September. Good luck with that...Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05605095728137126622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-44749470339596423042012-01-28T15:19:17.682-06:002012-01-28T15:19:17.682-06:00We finished LAST. We need to worry about the Roya...We finished LAST. We need to worry about the Royals before the Tigers. "We just need to get healthy" ... Yeah, we'll see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-62914581783841718282012-01-26T23:35:45.716-06:002012-01-26T23:35:45.716-06:00I think it's reasonable to expect Valencia, wh...<i>I think it's reasonable to expect Valencia, who's young, to improve defensively, as well as Revere to increase his arm strength. And likely Nishioka to be better adapted to MLB play.</i><br /><br />Valencia is 27, he's not "young."<br /><br />Revere has been playing professionally since 2007. There is almost zero chance at this point of any significant change in his arm strength. <br /><br />Nishioka may or may not be better adapted to playing major league baseball, but IMO calling that "likely" is a pretty big stretch.<br /><br />There's a very real chance the Twins defense isn't significantly better than Detroit's this year, and defense has become pretty overrated (especially by the SABER crowd) recently anyway, particularly OF defense. The Twins did just fine with Delmon in left, as did Boston with Manny Ramirez in left. <br /><br />Can anything happen? Sure. But there can be little doubt the Tigers are a much stronger team today.USAFChiefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-48538270305579406492012-01-26T20:25:06.109-06:002012-01-26T20:25:06.109-06:00No apology necessary, Professor. To the extent any...No apology necessary, Professor. To the extent anyone is arguing that Fielder makes the Tigers worse, I agree that's just plain silly. <br /><br />And I agree that when you look at rosters as they stand today, the Tigers are the clear favorite, and it's hard to pick the Twins to finish any higher than third in the division. <br /><br />The only point I'm trying to make is that this was also true in '08 when the Twins were coming off a subpar season and watched key free agents walk away while Detroit made big offseason splashes and Cleveland was coming off a big year.<br /><br />If you're ready to crown champions based on offseason moves (like the chap in commments to the last post who guaranteed the Tigers would be "the dominant team in the AL Central for the next half dozen years" and the myriad of people who assumed a Boston-Philly WS last year), you haven't been watching baseball very long. <br /><br />As far as being realistic, this is a really hard Twins team to project because of so many question marks. If you asked me to predict a record, I'd probably say 78-84. I don't think this bunch will surprise people the way past Twins teams have. They did not do enough to help with defense and middle relief, which were the 2 things that cost them the most games. <br /><br />But the Fielder singing notwithstanding, it's still a weak division overall. 88 wins might be enough to get it done, and while not a likely scenario, that's within the realm of possibility.Lachesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-52500911720515516572012-01-26T18:46:00.294-06:002012-01-26T18:46:00.294-06:00i'm not saying the tigers are a lock. you guy...i'm not saying the tigers are a lock. you guys are just not listening, it's hilarious! someone says something bad about the twins, and the reflex to defend, distort, delude kicks right in.<br /><br />the tigers are not a lock, by any stretch of the imagination. but theyre better now than they were before fielder, and they'll be even better when martinez is back. that is not debatable. the twins are the same team they were before the tigers got fielder. thus, the tigers got better by signing fielder. nick's comment: if you think the twins had a chance 2 days ago, nothing should change that now. what???? <br /><br />and yet mike is still hammering away on the defense thing, as if the fielder deal actually makes the tigers a worse team! god its hilarious. <br /><br />laches, youre right, i'm projecting a little bit for the twins club in terms of injury. thats a bit hypocritical and i apoligize for that.<br /><br />i just think this fanbase needs to get real. if you look at pitching, injury concerns, depth, etc., i'm not sure the twins even stack up to cleveland, cws, and kc. at the least there's no 2nd place frontrunner among the bunch.<br />yet if you read this article and the comments, you wouldn't even know there's another team in the division besides the tigers. a touch of arrogance, innit?professor mcilvanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-1043839103621151262012-01-26T18:19:56.994-06:002012-01-26T18:19:56.994-06:00Nick what's your opinion on David Schoenfield ...Nick what's your opinion on David Schoenfield Al Central position breakdown. It's quite depressing especially our pitching rankings.<br /><br />http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/20267/al-central-showdown-position-rankingsSoCal Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12328801624529533614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-1901643855277478012012-01-26T17:37:23.194-06:002012-01-26T17:37:23.194-06:00"For whatever reason, some Twins fans act ext..."For whatever reason, some Twins fans act extremely pompous. Its like they win for a few years and become god's gift to baseball. I know winning is a very foreign concept in Minnesota."<br /><br />---And you're really representing Chicago fans well with that last comment, Chief.Lachesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-91256175510226438222012-01-26T17:27:34.530-06:002012-01-26T17:27:34.530-06:00Some of the comments here are idiotic. I am a Sox ...Some of the comments here are idiotic. I am a Sox fan, so I know full well about big signing immediate impact players having a bad year. But calling him stuff like a "fat slob" doesn't help your argument at all, it just makes you sound like an idiot. <br /><br />For whatever reason, some Twins fans act extremely pompous. Its like they win for a few years and become god's gift to baseball. I know winning is a very foreign concept in Minnesota.<br /><br />This article is well written and makes a good point. No problem with that. And I do agree that their is a very real potential that Fielder does indeed age poorly. But does that not make a pretty important statement in itself? The best you can hope for is flukes?<br /><br />Detroit has a very good window for the next 3 to 4 years and they have to win. Miggy at third is going to be terrible and Fielder is entering a pitchers park for the first time, but it is still very much Detroits to lose.<br /><br />Illitch is an old man and wants that World Series. Old Owner with lots of money (look at how much the guy spends on his hockey team) is often a very dangerous thing for the rest of the division.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-71711817987486901202012-01-26T17:16:28.502-06:002012-01-26T17:16:28.502-06:00I’d suggest practicing some of what you preach the...I’d suggest practicing some of what you preach there, Professor, and stick to facts as opposed to projections and assumptions (e.g. Carroll will “inevitably” get hurt). <br /><br />You might want to also employ some of that reason and logic that you mentioned as well. <br /><br />Nobody here is saying the Twins should be division favorites or denying that Fielder makes the Tigers better. Sitting here in January, I cringe at the thought of our pitching staff facing that lineup. But, I’ve also been following baseball long enough to know that offseason hype doesn’t always lead to success on the field.<br /><br /> Here’s a little recent history lesson from this same Tigers franchise: I know this is hard for many Twins fans, but let’s think back further than 1 year to all the way to 2008. <br /><br />The Detroit Tigers made some blockbuster moves that offseason, acquiring likes of Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and Edgar Renteria to add to an already talented team that had recently been AL Champs. <br /><br />Everyone projected to be successful with these additions.<br /><br />Most of <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview08/news/story?page=08expertpicks" rel="nofollow">ESPN’s analysts picked them</a> picked them to make the playoffs, and more predicted them to win the World Series than any other team. <br /><br />There was all kinds of talk about what an explosive, unbeatable lineup they would have. One <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/specials/spring_training/2008/previews/tigers.html" rel="nofollow">rival GM said</a> "This is going to be one of the most dominant offenses that any team has fielded in 10 years."<br /><br />And the Twins? Well, they were coming off a down year, and said goodbye to Johan Santana and Torii Hunter in the offseason. Few predicted them to finish higher than fourth with the Tigers upgrading as they did, the Indians coming off a strong ’07 showing and the White Sox still fielding a solid team.<br /><br />But things played out a little different than expected. The Twins put together a spirited run to game 163, nearly stealing the division while the Tigers spent the summer pissing themselves and finished dead last, behind even Kansas City.<br /><br />Again, I’m not saying history will repeat itself. I’m just saying it could. Dismiss that as a cliché all you want, but I think the view that it can’t happen is just as delusional as the one that it will.Lachesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-85675258186711891482012-01-26T17:08:53.805-06:002012-01-26T17:08:53.805-06:00And Professor- I'm not sure why you think Carr...And Professor- I'm not sure why you think Carroll should be required to add 30 wins to the team. On that thread, there isn't a single player in MLB that would add 30 wins to any team. But he makes the infield defense better than it was, and that was what you were whining about before. What did you say- honesty, talks, reality, reason? <br /><br />No one is trying to say that one player is going to make up the difference between the two teams. It's a combination of players returning to health, players performing up to their career norms, and improving on some weak areas. Better SS, improved outfield defense, a viable backup catcher, and a stronger bullpen with Duensing becoming a reliever again accomplish that. It's probably not a 32 game difference, but it's certainly an improvement. <br /><br />"all in all you can say the twins defense is ever so slightly better and the tigers is the same."<br /><br />Again, if you think Young is as good of a fielder as Revere, go ahead and think that. "Again, honesty, folks. reality. facts. reason. level headedness. honesty."<br /><br />And Detroit is not as good defensively as it was last year. Delmon will be there the whole year and is a huge liability. Cabrera at 3rd is an absolute joke if that's what they're really planning. That team is so much worse defensively.<br /><br />"so you can say all you want how bad detroits d is, as long as you admit that d got them to the alcs"<br /><br />Life isn't as simple or black and white as you make it out to be with that post. Detroit's defense didn't get them to the ALCS. Their defense just wasn't so bad as to prevent them from getting there.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-42004949501171194252012-01-26T17:00:01.402-06:002012-01-26T17:00:01.402-06:00Hey kids, sorry if I disagree with you in my asses...Hey kids, sorry if I disagree with you in my assessment of the team. That doesn't make me unrealistic and it doesn't mean that I'm lying to myself. I also fully understand the definition of significantly.<br /><br />Yes, Revere played much of last year. Who did he replace when he was out there, by and large? Denard Span. Who would he be replacing in 2012? Delmon Young. I know this is a real brain-buster (apparently), but the 2011 Twins relied on an outfield defense of Span OR Revere paired with Young (or Kubel); the 2012 Twins will rely on Span WITH Revere. Big difference. <br /><br />Willingham and Cuddyer are pretty equivalent fielders. <br /><br />And am I counting on Span coming back from a concussion? Yes. Because most people come back from a concussion. Morneau is more of a unique case. To say that the Twins outfield defense isn't significantly better, you're relying on a guy continuing to have concussion problems.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-28092895700456790272012-01-26T13:56:15.441-06:002012-01-26T13:56:15.441-06:00"The Twins outfield defense is at best a wash..."The Twins outfield defense is at best a wash over last year and you are banking on a guy coming back from a concussion."<br /><br />yeah revere played most of the year, willingham slightly worse than cuddy, and carrol is an upgrade but creaky and will get hurt so nishi will see action. <br /><br />all in all you can say the twins defense is ever so slightly better and the tigers is the same. tigers were 32 games better than the twins last year and i don't think jamey carrol is worth 20-30 wins, so you can say all you want how bad detroits d is, as long as you admit that d got them to the alcs and the twins d is poor also and that in the grand scheme of things "better d" is going to be utterly meaningless in separating the twins and tigers in 12. <br /><br />again, honesty, folks. reality. facts. reason. level headedness. honesty.professor mcilvanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-75165104610624909022012-01-26T13:25:37.029-06:002012-01-26T13:25:37.029-06:00Mike, seriously you need to check the definition o...Mike, seriously you need to check the definition of "significantly". The Twins outfield defense is at best a wash over last year and you are banking on a guy coming back from a concussion. That's not exactly been the Twins forte, getting guys to actually play after injuries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-37346084230604825402012-01-26T13:22:11.469-06:002012-01-26T13:22:11.469-06:00I take a fat MVP candidate that plays everyday ove...I take a fat MVP candidate that plays everyday over a pampered 30 RBI 110 game guy who is thin 100 times out of 100.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-11345873976641049512012-01-26T13:22:06.441-06:002012-01-26T13:22:06.441-06:00"if the twins had signed fielder youd all be ..."if the twins had signed fielder youd all be crowing about how the twins were the new faves in the division."<br /><br />Actually, I think a lot of us would have been happy about his offensive skills he would bring to the team, and then wonder about how well he fits in to the current players. Mauer, Morneau, and Doumit are likely to split DH duties and 1st base duties, which would just mean we would have a 4th player with which to split limited action at these positions. Personally, I would question if it wouldn't have been better to spend that money on improving other areas of the team, such as 2nd base, the starting rotation, or the bullpen.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-36821571380876445752012-01-26T13:19:24.178-06:002012-01-26T13:19:24.178-06:00"how exactly are the twins going to be better..."how exactly are the twins going to be better defensively by the way?"<br /><br />For starters, the old shortstop you belittle for his age is a definite defensive improvement over what the Twins trotted out there last year. Even if he does get injured and they go back to the other players, at least there was better defense while he was out there playing. <br /><br />"Noodle arm" in center, I'm assuming, is Ben Revere, who will actually be in left field where his poor arm won't be as much of a liability. He's a huge defensive upgrade over Young and if you don't get that, I can't really help you. <br /><br />As far as center, I'm assuming a healthy Denard Span, who is a very good center fielder.<br /><br />WIllingham replaces Cuddyer. I don't think he's any better or any worse as a fielder. <br /><br />So the outfield defense looks to be significantly better than it was and the middle infield has improved. And that's without doing any real speculation. I think it's reasonable to expect Valencia, who's young, to improve defensively, as well as Revere to increase his arm strength. And likely Nishioka to be better adapted to MLB play.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-13643595077788239592012-01-26T13:19:06.403-06:002012-01-26T13:19:06.403-06:00I'll give you "stuff happens" but th...I'll give you "stuff happens" but the Tigers are LIGHT YEARS ahead of the Twins in all phases of the game. Even if the Tigers somehow don't win the division its not going to be the Twins that take advantage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-8574135001870983712012-01-26T12:40:33.547-06:002012-01-26T12:40:33.547-06:00"They should seriously consider salads."..."They should seriously consider salads."<br /><br />Fielder is a vegetarian.<br /><br />Seriously, folks, we get it, Fielder is big. But all these "jokes" are unoriginal and terribly unfunny. Perhaps one day you'll look back on these posts and think, gee, here I was on a baseball blog and all I had to comment on was some dude's weight?Ha Ha Hanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-84467548661057384682012-01-26T12:18:46.310-06:002012-01-26T12:18:46.310-06:00I love guys like Jack Steal, who choose to ignore ...I love guys like Jack Steal, who choose to ignore reality so it doesn't interfere with what they want to rant about. The Twins weren"t LIKELY to contend in 2012 anyway, but we still get to play the games. Why is it so impossible for some of you to be satisfied with an improved team in 2012 that's going to continue improving? Congratulations to Detroit fans. But I will still enjoy my .500 baseball team knowing that few of those wins will come against a superior Detroit team. And I will smile at the bunt doubles to Cabrera, and then the doubles slapped by his fat ass out to that klutz Delmon in left when Cabrera inches closer to the plate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-88180515874850185092012-01-26T12:02:09.570-06:002012-01-26T12:02:09.570-06:00Fielder may be fat, but he's NOTHING compared ...<i>Fielder may be fat, but he's NOTHING compared to Capps or Gardy!</i><br /><br />Haha, totally. Modern day Hrbek is up there, too. They should seriously consider salads.<br /><br />The overall impact is a couple wins more for the Tigers in the season series. The Twins still have the rest of the division to play against, too. By no means should one player on one team, no matter how good he is, suddenly destroy the rest of the division's chances to compete.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10984504525577892812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-17747973709787312702012-01-26T11:05:04.977-06:002012-01-26T11:05:04.977-06:00"this could be one of the most incompetent de..."this could be one of the most incompetent defensive teams we've seen in a long time."<br /><br />since probably the '11 Twins.<br /><br />how exactly are the twins going to be better defensively by the way? a 39-yr old shortstop? what happens when he inevitbly gets hurt? noodle arm in center? poor mans cuddy in left? <br /><br />cabrera and fielder are going to split time at 1b and dh. 1b is the least improtant defensive position on the field. the tigers defense wasnt great to begin with (really hurt them on the way to 95 wins last year, huh) but lets not pretend its going to be keystone kops out there. <br /><br />why cant anybody locally be honest and realistic about the fielder deal? everyone's reflex is to find ways to downplay it. nick even claimed the tigers were no better with fielder than without him. jesus christmas, that's just a flat out lie right there. <br /><br />i tink our fans are so accustomed to hearing other teams get good free agents while getting none ourselves that it's our nature to find passive aggressive reasons why we didn't really want/need/like that guy anyhow so our feeling arent hurt (my favorite: he's fat. good analysis!). <br /><br />if the twins had signed fielder youd all be crowing about how the twins were the new faves in the divison.<br /><br />this offseason youre really starting the see the fanbase splinter. one side, the payroll grumps have had it with this ownership groups lies and deception. the other side are rebelling against the outcry by becoming delusionally optimistic about the team's chances, sort of like if you tell yourself something over and over again you can convince yourself of anything.<br /><br />columnists, bloggers, fans are all taking sides. fascinating from a sociological perspective. which side will win?professor mcilvanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-82288776189445318282012-01-26T10:48:20.541-06:002012-01-26T10:48:20.541-06:00twins need a Starting Pitcher period. Why can'...twins need a Starting Pitcher period. Why can't they get a decent starter? please ryan get us a starting pitcher. by the way, marguis isn't a decent starting pitcher, or even a starting pitcher for that matter.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-47284628917924618122012-01-26T09:59:54.511-06:002012-01-26T09:59:54.511-06:00If Detroit plays Cabrera at 3B and Fielder at 1B w...If Detroit plays Cabrera at 3B and Fielder at 1B with Delmon in LF and Magglio in RF, this could be one of the most incompetent defensive teams we've seen in a long time. I think it's unlikely Cabrera will spend more than a handful of games at 3B; he'll split time with Fielder at 1B/DH this season with Martinez out, but it's still going to be a bad defensive team that will only get worse.<br /><br />Detroit is obviously still the favorite, but they're hardly a lock to run away with the division.Joshnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11215059.post-39896133187628415042012-01-26T09:13:54.374-06:002012-01-26T09:13:54.374-06:00As a result of the trade, all I could think about ...<i>As a result of the trade, all I could think about was the fact that "Delmon Young is [no longer the Tiger's] #%$@ing three hitter!"</i><br /><br />Ha, I thought the exact same thing Matt!Nick N.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00848574337121154690noreply@blogger.com