[kmont_2012]

come on. the twins lose their big game 1 to nothing... :eyeroll:

 

[djleye]

Yea, Nice fricken effort. All the bunting they did all year and then the batting leader of the league is the only one that tries to bunt......What the hell!!!! :eyeroll:

 

[jonesy12]

You could've seen this loss coming from a mile away. After all, that's what the Twins do.......Crush dreams

 

[djleye]

Nah, you have them confused with the Vikes!!!! :wink:

 

[jonesy12]

Whoops, I meant the Timberpups

 

[omegax]

It seems like sour grapes, but I honestly never thought of it until this morning: Why, if they've played 18 times, do they need a play-in game? Why can't they use head-to-head record? Obviously, the teams are pretty evenly matched... at that point when they flip the coin to determine home-field, they might as well just flip the coin to see who gets in, the way it is now.

 

[MrSafety]

Yes, it was a disappointing loss BUT...........who really expected them to be in a race for the division title to begin with? This is an exciting group and looks like most should be back next year! And yes........Mauer bunting....... :eyeroll:

 

[nodakoutdoors.com]

Mauer bunting....... :eyeroll:

I was saying the same thing....what a desperation game.

 

[usmarine0352]

Good that we built the Twins a new stadium.

YAY

 

[smalls]

I thought the bandwagon felt lighter this morning when I woke up :roll:

Danks was nearly unhittable last night. Mauer is one of the most intelligent players in the league, and over the last two years he's bunted for base hits on several occasions when the infield is shifted and playing deep so that is not an entirely foriegn strategy for him. Morneau has been terrible for the last two weeks so to rely on him to come up and stroke a HR is a bit ambitious.

Next, the expectations for this season were abysmal. We lost Hunter, Garza, and Santana and STILL improved. We learned that this team is a 3B and a SS from being among the elite teams in the AL (however I could see the possibility of some of our pitchers to "regress").

We'll get Neshek back next year, Mijares looks like the real deal so hopefully (*fingers crossed* HOPEFULLY) our bullpen returns to leadpipe, lockdown form. Give this years team 2006's bullpen and we win 92-93 games instead of 88. Liriano pitched out of his mind after getting recalled after the all-star break and I think some of his struggles in his last several starts can be attributed to having a TON of innings coming off of Tommy John. Baker, Liriano, Slowey seem to have the first 3 slots of the rotation solidified with Blackburn, Perkins, Bonser, Humber, Duensing and Mulvey competing for the last two spots...I like our chances of having a very solid 1 through 5.

Great year for this team and I can't wait for spring training...I may even have to make a trip down to Ft. Myers this year.

 

[Gooseguy10]

Every year it is the same story......"they over achieved with what they had" Why not spend some money and get what they need to make the next step.

I am not a big MLB history guy but couldn't the Twins had either Thome or Griffey if they had spent the money? If so, what irony.

As far as I am concerned, until they spend some more money, they will be no more than an above average club that either left just short of the playoffs or eeks in and gets destroyed by a team willing to do what it takes to get a team that can compete in the playoffs.

At least we have the Viki..... :eyeroll:

 

[smalls]

Every year it is the same story......"they over achieved with what they had" Why not spend some money and get what they need to make the next step.

:eyeroll: Yeah, then we could be just like the Tigers...wait, bad example, okay how bout the Mets...shoot, not a good one either, I got it we could be like the Yankees...cripes this is frustrating, almost like there are things other than payroll that are important in building a successful team.

Opening up the checkbook for a "can't miss" star and missing would cripple the Twins. For examples of "can't miss" stars that have bombed see Andruw Jones and Barry Zito (sorry 870). And at some point we are going to have to pony up big(ger) $$ for Mauer, Morneau, Baker, Liriano and Neshek. I really do like what Bill Smith is doing with this team, we're staying young, cheap and athletic. We have a great ability to use our price-controlled talent to trade strengths for weakenesses (example- Garza for Delmon). I fully expect that we trade an outfielder (probably Kubel due to our LH heavy lineup) and a pitcher out of our starting rotation in the offseason. Hopefully we can get a young talented 3B or SS out of that.

The goal of the season is to get into the playoffs and try your best to get through that crapshoot. Building a "playoff" team is much harder than one would expect, just see recent successes by teams like the Cardinals, Rockies, Marlins (twice) and even the White Sox and Tiger's runs were flukey at best...all teams that were light on payroll but "hot" at the right time of year.

 

[mnbirdhunter]

Got to give it up to Blackburn though, he did a hell of a job

 

[djleye]

however I could see the possibility of some of our pitchers to "regress

Kinda like your boy BOOF!!! :wink:

Now don't get me wrong, I love the Twins. I just want to see them beat the worst team in baseball, aka the Mariners, once in a while. They lost so many winnable games. I saw the writing on the wall for the last series against KC and I knew as soon as they celebrated like they won the fall classic against the Sox what was coming down the Pike. I go back to the games against the crappy teams that they should have been winning!!! Those were the killers! And Morneau is a superstar, but lats see him get hot when they need him, in a big series JUST ONCE!!!! Like the playoffs!!

 

[Gooseguy10]

Every year it is the same story......"they over achieved with what they had" Why not spend some money and get what they need to make the next step.

:eyeroll: Yeah, then we could be just like the Tigers...wait, bad example, okay how bout the Mets...shoot, not a good one either, I got it we could be like the Yankees...cripes this is frustrating, almost like there are things other than payroll that are important in building a successful team.

Opening up the checkbook for a "can't miss" star and missing would cripple the Twins. For examples of "can't miss" stars that have bombed see Andruw Jones and Barry Zito (sorry 870). And at some point we are going to have to pony up big(ger) $$ for Mauer, Morneau, Baker, Liriano and Neshek. I really do like what Bill Smith is doing with this team, we're staying young, cheap and athletic. We have a great ability to use our price-controlled talent to trade strengths for weakenesses (example- Garza for Delmon). I fully expect that we trade an outfielder (probably Kubel due to our LH heavy lineup) and a pitcher out of our starting rotation in the offseason. Hopefully we can get a young talented 3B or SS out of that.

The goal of the season is to get into the playoffs and try your best to get through that crapshoot. Building a "playoff" team is much harder than one would expect, just see recent successes by teams like the Cardinals, Rockies, Marlins (twice) and even the White Sox and Tiger's runs were flukey at best...all teams that were light on payroll but "hot" at the right time of year.

You make very good points. I understand that "buying" a team doesn't always work but apparently either does doing what the Twins have been doing for the past ten years. In my opinion if the Twins continue to operate the same way as the past, they will get the same results....above average seasons filled with people talking about how they over achieved with what they had......it gets boring year after year.

 

[USSapper]

I enjoyed the twins season this year. I say good for them for what they accomplished......You cant be mad cause they didnt take 4 straight from the Sox.....They were evenly matched teams and Tuesday night showed it. One team just got the better of the other. Way WAY too many couch coaches sitting around here