Twins vs Mariners, 08-28-2012, 7:10pm

[Winston Smith]

I can only guess that "shoulder soreness" will turn into "bilateral shoulder weakness".

Kind of looks like the league is catching up with Mr Diamond.

[Brock Beauchamp]

For lack of a more polite way to put it, this team is un-****ing-watchable.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't think it has as much to do with the league catching up so much as it has to do with him throwing meatballs over the plate last inning. Guys were squaring up on him and drilling the ball.

[snepp]

For lack of a more polite way to put it, this team is un-****ing-watchable.

Concur.

[sbknudson]

For lack of a more polite way to put it, this team is un-****ing-watchable.

I did something I rarely do - I changed the channel. Normally I suffer in silence the whole nine innings, but right now I'm watching the Lynx on NBA-TV. And I don't really like basketball.

[Ultima Ratio]

Guess we have to move plouffe back to the OF or 1B where throwing accuracy is less important. Come on guy.

[glunn]

For lack of a more polite way to put it, this team is un-****ing-watchable.

I did something I rarely do - I changed the channel. Normally I suffer in silence the whole nine innings, but right now I'm watching the Lynx on NBA-TV. And I don't really like basketball.

Because of the time difference I need to DVR the games to catch the first few innings, but now I have stopped bothering. Just too painful to watch.

[Winston Smith]

Dick said they are hitting .307 off Diamond in Aug not including tonight. That may mean more meatballs or scouts are getting better reports on him thus teams are hitting him better. Might also just be a bad month, time will tell.

[jokin]

I don't think it has as much to do with the league catching up so much as it has to do with him throwing meatballs over the plate last inning. Guys were squaring up on him and drilling the ball.

Yeah, but when the Mariners, of all teams, are squaring up on him and drilling the ball, I think that's another definition of the league catching up with you. At least Diamond just hit the mark for the Twins definition of a QS.

[USAFChief]

Atta kid Mauersie.

[Ultima Ratio]

Oh, Joe. Oh, no. No, no, no ,no....

[ashburyjohn]

it's a great story how the Twins practically fell into a guy ready to step up and be a stopper when all around him is chaos.

He's a Rule 5 draftee. Why isn't the story "great scouting, trading to keep him, and coaching"?

[sbknudson]

Well, so much for that. The Lynx won in OT. Now I'm stuck back with this.

[Ultima Ratio]

I really don't think our offense is this bad. I see this production and recent poor offensive production as a symptom of the bad pitching and a bad record -- and that attitude permeating and infusing the approach and mettle of our guys at the plate. It's just a giant marshmallow of blasé sticking to everything.

[ashburyjohn]

I really don't think our offense is this bad. I see this production and recent poor offensive production as a symptom of the bad pitching and a bad record -- and that attitude permeating and infusing the approach and mettle of our guys at the plate. It's just a giant marshmallow of blasé sticking to everything.

So losing causes the hitting to go bad? That's it, then! Terry Ryan should go get some wins for the team, while he is acquiring starting pitching, and the hitting will surely follow suit.

[sbknudson]

I really don't think our offense is this bad. I see this production and recent poor offensive production as a symptom of the bad pitching and a bad record -- and that attitude permeating and infusing the approach and mettle of our guys at the plate. It's just a giant marshmallow of blasé sticking to everything.

Except that we've had stretches like this earlier in the season too. I agree that, in August when you are this far out, it's easy to lose the intensity, and the Twins have a tendency to do that, but it also feels like we are an engine running on bad gas - sometimes it runs smooth, and sometimes it sputters all too much.

[Ultima Ratio]

I really don't think our offense is this bad. I see this production and recent poor offensive production as a symptom of the bad pitching and a bad record -- and that attitude permeating and infusing the approach and mettle of our guys at the plate. It's just a giant marshmallow of blasé sticking to everything.

So losing causes the hitting to go bad? That's it, then! Terry Ryan should go get some wins for the team, while he is acquiring starting pitching, and the hitting will surely follow suit.

Yep. Good job, good synopsis.

[Ultima Ratio]

I really don't think our offense is this bad. I see this production and recent poor offensive production as a symptom of the bad pitching and a bad record -- and that attitude permeating and infusing the approach and mettle of our guys at the plate. It's just a giant marshmallow of blasé sticking to everything.

Except that we've had stretches like this earlier in the season too. I agree that, in August when you are this far out, it's easy to lose the intensity, and the Twins have a tendency to do that, but it also feels like we are an engine running on bad gas - sometimes it runs smooth, and sometimes it sputters all too much.

Indeed. When things are going poorly, it's easy and no surprise that other things begin to go poorly as well. Couple that datum with the time of the season and lack of meaningful games and you can get poorer at bats.

[sbknudson]

I wonder if this all comes down to clubhouse chemistry. Who is the clubhouse leader? Who is the one who is going to say, "C'mon, boys, climb on my back and I'll carry you" and inspire the rest of the team.

[Ultima Ratio]

I wonder if this all comes down to clubhouse chemistry. Who is the clubhouse leader? Who is the one who is going to say, "C'mon, boys, climb on my back and I'll carry you" and inspire the rest of the team.

If there wasn't someone early in the season with that role, it surely doesn't matter now if there isn't. Though, if the team ever hopes to be successful in the future, they surely need a someone with that mentality who can also deliver on the field. It helps all the more if you have more than one of these players and one of them is your ace pitcher.