Major League Baseball News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/major-league-baseball/ Minnesota sports, but different Wed, 15 May 2024 17:03:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Major League Baseball News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/major-league-baseball/ 32 32 MLB Files Court Grievance Against Diamond Sports (Bally) Over Comcast Dispute https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-mlb-files-grievance-diamond-sports-bally-comcast/ Wed, 15 May 2024 17:03:24 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=50862 If you have followed the Minnesota Twins at all the past handful of months among the most significant storylines has been regarding television rights. While the franchise themselves did nothing to open up their product to a wider audience, they took the most money from Diamond Sports and went on with business as usual.

MLB Files Grievance Against Diamond Sports

Now dealing with a blackout of Bally Sports on Comcast, Major League Baseball is trying to step up the pressure on Diamond Sports Group. In a court filing on Tuesday, Major League Baseball argued, “This abrupt loss of carriage is profoundly harmful to MLB. Without incoming revenue from Comcast, Diamond faces substantially increased risk of shutting down altogether.”

This line of thinking is beyond sensible, with Diamond and Comcast arguing over dollars, the company dealing with bankruptcy proceedings now has an even greater challenge when it comes to revenue.

It isn’t always typical for the league to get involved with carriage disputes, but Major League Baseball is seeing this latest Diamond Sports + Compast battle impact more than one-third of their league, given the company’s behemoth’s reach as one of the country’s largest cable providers.

While Diamond Sports continues to work through bankruptcy court in an effort to continue operations beyond 2024, Major League Baseball has watched as the owner of Bally Sports now deals with blackout restrictions for 12 teams through Comcast’s cable service. As the side continue to have discussions, the two-week mark has come and gone with the product off the shelf.

Related: Bally Sports Releases Tone Deaf Statement on Contract Battle with Comcast

Court dates on May 22 and June 18 loom large in terms of objections and confirmation hearings, but Major League Baseball is beyond skeptical how the sides can continue to go forward like this.

Minnesota Twins Blackout From Diamond Sports Crushing

Diamond Sports contract with Comcast came to an end on April 30, meaning the Minnesota Twins last 12 games have not been televised by the mammoth cable provider. In that stretch Rocco Baldelli and his team have been among the best teams in baseball. The culmination of a 12-game winning streak was not widely distributed, and Minnesota’s six consecutive series wins hasn’t been shown either.

Fans have been left searching for avenues to consume Major League Baseball’s product, and rather than Diamond Sports working with Comcast for a quicker resolution, there have been multiple advertisements taken out on social media to increase finger pointing. Of course the league is losing revenue, as are each of the individual teams, but discounting the dollars doesn’t overshadow just how bad fans have it thanks to the imposed blackout.

Related: New MLB + Roku Deal Gives Bally-less Twins Fans Some Free Games to Watch

The hope would be that Diamond Sports and Comcast can come to some sort of new agreement that changes the current situation for the time being, but with each side stuck in, it appears Major League Baseball will be left frustrated by their current state of affairs.

]]> Wed, 15 May 2024 12:03:29 +0000 Minnesota Twins News Minnesota Twins Baldelli’s Decision Making and Cold Offense Dooms Twins as They Fall to White Sox https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/baldellis-decision-making-and-cold-offense-dooms-twins-as-they-fall-to-white-sox/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/baldellis-decision-making-and-cold-offense-dooms-twins-as-they-fall-to-white-sox/#respond Sat, 25 Jul 2020 22:32:29 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=27783 It looks like the Twins were hungover Saturday afternoon after their Opening Day win. They fell to the White Sox 10-3 in the second game of their three game series.

While going down 2-0 early didn’t help, only registering one hit through the first five innings made it an uphill battle. Although there are more negatives than positives from this game, the team is still likely dusting off some rust. Keep in mind the Twins only played three games against teams that aren’t their own via scrimmages.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDFInZsFq9f/?igshid=4fe97kjiczn1

DOBNAK SHOULD START

Randy Dobnak was solid in his first start of the year especially for someone who wasn’t originally supposed to start Saturday. After original starter Rich Hill was scheduled to start, manager Rocco Baldelli moved Hill’s start back to Wednesday of next week. This is no reason for alarm, Baldelli is trying to keep Hill more in-line with his normal rest schedule. It did however mean throwing Dobnak into the fire likely earlier than he anticipated.

Even with the late starting switch, he only gave up one run through four innings. It’s hard to fault him for that considering Dobnak was making only his sixth career regular season start. He kept the team in the game when the offense was anemic. That is a reason I placed him as the top prospect that can make an impact for the Twins in 2020.

CRUZ STILL HAS IT

At 40 years old, Cruz’s performance was a relative question mark. Even though he hit 41 home runs and 108 RBI with a .311 average, there were still questions as to how much he has in the tank. But it appears he has plenty. Cruz drove in the team’s only runs of the game on a three-run Bomba to left in the sixth.

Not only should Twins fans love the mentorship he has brought to the younger players, but his play is still elite. Cruz is a definite cornerstone for this team to build off of in 2020.

BATS GO COLD

Now the bad part of the day which was the offense. This wasn’t the Bomba Squad we have all come to know and love. While Cruz did hit that three-run shot, it only brought the Twins back to within two at 5-3. The runners on accounted for only the second and third hits of the day.

The lack of production outside that may raise some concerns. It was a similar outing to the one the team put together in their exhibition against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Although facing a a tough test in Dallas Keuchel, that is nothing new to the Twins. They still made plenty of contact despite the loss. Keuchel was only able to strike out one Twins batter over 5.1 innings.

For a club that leans more towards the offensive side of the plate, it will be rare for them to win games without out-slugging their opponent. This was on full display in their Opening Day win.

BULLPEN IMPLODES

While Dobnak kept the score close through his four innings of work, the Twins bullpen was not what fans saw during Opening Day. Instead of shutting down the Sox, they gave up eight runs. Many coming off long balls.

Zack Littell in particular was a sore spot in the game. He gave up three home runs in the fifth inning alone which put the team down 5-0 in his only inning of relief.

Baldelli then had rookie Devin Smeltzer throw two innings while giving up five runs. Four of which came off two home runs. This lead to questions about Baldelli’s decision making.

WHAT WAS BALDELLI THINKING?

While Baldelli has shown he likes to have relief pitchers not pitch on consecutive days, it was puzzling to see him stick with Smeltzer as long as he did. With an off day on Monday, you have to question why more bullpen arms weren’t used.

It’s understandable that Baldelli wants to see what Smeltzer can do in a longer relief appearance. But even though Smeltzer is a starting pitching prospect, he only showed moments of promise. He mostly just put the offense deeper in a hole.

Baldelli showed poise with his moves last year, but has seemed phased and out of touch with how to attack the White Sox lineup through the first two games. The White Sox have a lineup that shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Twins including a slew of prospects making their first big league appearances. Friday’s season opener proved that with the bullpen shutting the Sox down after the game was tied at five.

DEEP BREATHS

Don’t worry too much. The 2019 Twins lost their second game of the year after winning their opener. While this season is different with only 60 games instead of 162, it’s still early and the team is finally facing competition that isn’t their own team in scrimmages.

The rubber match of the series will feature Kenta Maeda getting his first start with the Twins. While the White Sox will trot out Reynaldo Lopez. The first pitch is 1:10 pm, so plan your Sunday accordingly!

In the meantime, take deep breaths. The world isn’t ending and a reminder that more than half the teams in the league make the playoffs this year. It’s just too bad the ’60-0′ shirt has already lost all of it’s meaning.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/baldellis-decision-making-and-cold-offense-dooms-twins-as-they-fall-to-white-sox/feed/ 0 Sat, 25 Jul 2020 17:32:37 +0000 Minnesota Twins MLB Expanding Playoffs to 16 Teams; That’s Over Half the League but Who’s Counting? https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-expanding-playoffs-to-16-teams/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-expanding-playoffs-to-16-teams/#respond Thu, 23 Jul 2020 21:37:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=27696

Major League Baseball starts their much awaited regular season tonight. That doesn’t mean negotiations between the player’s union and league are over. Far from it, actually. News broke this afternoon, that the two sides are coming to an agreement on an expanded postseason for 2020…

They claim the changes will be for 2020 only… but lol.

There will now be 16 teams reaching the postseason. We’ve now reached a point where over half the league are World Series contenders… Each division will now get 2 teams in the tournament and 2 wildcard teams will also dance. What an absolute mockery of the game and regular season.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

As with almost everything in life, this appears to be all about the money. While I understand that both the players and owners are miffed about losing mass amounts of revenue, this is still an absurd ask. Yet this has apparently been discussed since the two sides agreed to play the 2020 season. It shows you how their grubby little hands can’t get enough.

But I guess that much money doesn’t go as far as it used to. As former Viking receiver Chris Carter said, “You got $30 million, you think that can get you to the grave? That ain’t no whole bunch of money, in the real world.”

Tell that to those losing their jobs or unable to collect unemployment during the pandemic. How tone deaf can people be?

THE POSTSEASON’S NEW LOOK

With 16 teams now slated to make it to October baseball, there is going to be a drastically different look. While the number of games for the first series will be a best-of-three, all first round games will now solely be played at the higher seeds ballpark.

This eliminates travel days and any leveling of the playing field. Although it is yet to be seen if the lower seed will get to play as the “home” team for one of the games. Without fans, that could work.

CHOOSING OPPONENTS?

On top of that, the division winners will choose their opponent in a televised event. Again, anything for the sake of a dollar. While this may be great for the Twins as it not only increases the likelihood of them making the playoffs, but it also means if they win the AL Central that they would avoid the Yankees in the first round. And we all know how they have the team’s number.

Still, this dilutes the meaning of everything that makes baseball great. Division races, the trade deadline, and even the postseason. As the more teams you add the worse the play becomes due to the potential for a horrendous team sneaking in.

LIKELY HERE TO STAY

Sure, you can pull up how the Indians or Nationals were doing after 60 games in 2019 and say this is the one year to implement this. But one thing that is almost always guaranteed with MLB is they don’t like to take things away once in place. Neither do the players as they want as much money making opportunities as possible.

I expect this to become a dreadful new playoff normal, for baseball in America. The players and owners are pissing on the graves of those who made this sport the country’s pastime.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-expanding-playoffs-to-16-teams/feed/ 0 Thu, 23 Jul 2020 16:59:06 +0000 Minnesota Twins Twins Planning Dress Rehearsal Scrimmage with Crowd Noise Piped in and Real Umpires https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-to-host-twins-in-full-scale-scrimmage-next-week/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-to-host-twins-in-full-scale-scrimmage-next-week/#respond Mon, 13 Jul 2020 14:21:24 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=27027

If you’ve been following the Minnesota Twins as closely as we have lately, then you would know the Twins have been playing intrasquad games over the past week. Some of those games appeared on the Twins Facebook page.

While it has been nice to finally see our team in live action, it is obvious these games have been test runs and not played at 100% effort. Thankfully, we will see a more serious type of intrasquad game next week.

According to the Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman, we are going to see “a full-scale instrasquad game”. This will give us the opportunity to see the Twins play in a more game-like setting, ahead of their season opener at Guaranteed Rate Field, against the Chicago White Sox on July 24th.

This news hasn’t been officially announced yet, as they are likely working out the details (like quarantining umps) but I’m assuming this game is streamed as well. Who knows, maybe we will even have the pleasure of hearing Dick Bremer’s voice once again on FSN. The announcers need practice too, right?

For those interested, I’m hosting a tailgating party on top of parking ramp A starting approximately 2 hours before the Minnesota Twins take on the Minnesota Twins. I expect everyone to be on their full tailgating behavior, hell we can even dolphin dive through a couple plastic tables if you want.

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-to-host-twins-in-full-scale-scrimmage-next-week/feed/ 0 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:56:33 +0000 Minnesota Twins Numbers Are Bound to Get Weird During 60-Game Twins Season https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/numbers-are-bound-to-get-weird-during-60-game-twins-season/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/numbers-are-bound-to-get-weird-during-60-game-twins-season/#respond Sat, 11 Jul 2020 02:17:38 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26747

Thankfully, America’s pastime is finally coming back at the end of this month. It’ll be a shortened, 60-game season, which changes everything and opens doors for anomalies we wouldn’t usually see. With a team as talented as the Minnesota Twins… who knows what could happen. I mean, could they have gotten a more favorable schedule?

Baseball is the thinking man’s game. No other sport has as in-depth statistics or analysis, nor do they provide the ability to talk and break down what is happening in real time, the way baseball does.

So lets deep dive some lofty (but realistic) milestones the Twins and its players could reach in a 60-game sprint. Again, some of these numbers might look weird but we’re only playing 60 games.

ARRAEZ HITTING .400

I argue this is the most likely record that could fall in 2020. If it isn’t Luis Arraez, then someone else in the league can accomplish it. We have seen it done over 60-game stretches before. From Chipper Jones in 2008 (.409) to Tony Gwynn in 1997 (.403), it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The biggest question is whether Arraez, a relative unknown outside of Minnesota, can do it.

He has mentioned it is his goal this year. And it would be a MAJOR accomplishment if he does even with an asterisk. No player has hit over .400 in a full season since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. The closest was Gwynn back in the strike-shortened 1994 season.

Arraez burst onto the scene in 2019, as a rookie. He hit .334 in 92 games for the Twins. While .334 is a long way from .400, he did hit .405 through his first 25 games in 2019. He did “struggle” from games 25 to 60, where he saw his average dip to .346. It isn’t hard to imagine the crafty middle-infielder pushing that number for a little longer in 2020. Having 90+ games vs MLB pitching under his belt, will help too.

Throw in a 93.3% contact rate (highest among 273 players with at least 300 pate appearances), and the stars are aligning. He rarely strikes out too. He’s essentially a rich-man’s Willians Astudillo. Arraez is also a candidate to lead the league in hits, but that isn’t as fun as average, is it?

Obviously, he will have to stay healthy.

CAN ANYONE HIT 25+ HOME RUNS?

For the Twins, I do not see this occurring in 2020. Yes, the team broke the record for home runs in a season with 307 in 2019. But those were spread out fairly evenly.

If I was a betting man, I would be putting my money on Nelson Cruz. Even at 40 years old, the man still rakes. He crushed 41 bombs in 2019 to lead the Twins and he doesn’t seem to have missed a step in Summer Camp.

Through the first 60 games in 2019, Cruz hit 18 homers which is not too bad. Considering he hit exactly 25 in the back-half of the year in only 58 games, he has the best chance of doing it again. The question that remains, is what does he has left in the tank. Will he need to get on a roll before unloading balls over the fence? Or if he can do it from the jump? Maybe the warmer weather to start will help.

An additional aspect to consider, with Cruz, is his success in 2019, vs the Twins’ 2020 opponents. He tagged 25 big flys against the AL Central alone, last year (62 games). Expect him to continue that against the NL Central too, now that there is a universal designated hitter this year.

FIRST OR SECOND HALF JOSE BERRIOS?

This one is a bit tricky, at least in my eyes. Berrios has been the team’s projected ace for years now, but he lacks the season-long consistency. He’s becoming notorious for beginning seasons like an All-Star, then trailing off after the break.

Which will we see in 2020?

In 2019, Berrios went 8-5 with a 3.00 ERA in the first half of the season before going 6-3 with a 4.64 ERA in the second half. Hopefully, that works out in his favor this year.

It will be interesting to how he handles a 60-game season. You’d think he’d be better, right?

Well… hopefully, especially with the majority of his starts coming completely against central teams. Berrios went 8-2 with a 3.70 ERA vs division opponents last year. Hell, how about a sub-3.00 ERA and a chance at the Cy Young this year? LFG.

WHAT WILL THE ROTATION LOOK LIKE?

While this isn’t a statistical point to touch on, it is still interesting to dissect and discuss. With 60 games and the additional access to players in the “taxi squad”/40-man roster, you could see a much different approach from the coaches.

Initially, the 2020 season was going to begin with a rotation of Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda, and Homer Bailey. The fifth starting spot would have been kept warm by a mix of Rich Hill, Devin Smeltzer, Lewis Thorpe, and Randy Dobnak until Michael Pineda finished his 27 game suspension.

But with 27 games counting for almost half the season and with Rich Hill now nearly fully recovered from elbow surgery, we may not see Pineda at all.

That also brings us to the question of usage rate for the starters. As The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman discussed, the team could utilize a four-man rotation and keep them limited to 3-4 innings. They could then put in a reliever, such as the fifth rotation starters above, to pitch the next 2-3 innings. This is why the expanded roster is so beneficial for the Twins. They have the players who are both seasoned vets and MLB-ready young guys to eat up those innings.

It is especially important to remember that three weeks of Summer Camp is not a massive amount of time for starters to get up to 80-100 pitches. So expect to see more calls to the bullpen throughout the games this year. Even if Odorizzi has mentioned he is already throwing 60 pitches, he isn’t known for going deep into games.

I personally love the idea of utilizing a strong bullpen with starter-like relievers. Unless they stink, I can only see it as a positive.

JOSH DONALDSON — BRINGER OF RAIN?

Another interesting and exciting storyline for 2020 is what newly-acquired Josh Donaldson will bring to the table. After inking a four-year, $90 million contract in the offseason, optimism of what he can produce is high.

But with a season cut short due to COVID-19 and labor disputes, age always plays a factor. Especially when he is already 34 years old.

He played amazingly well in a bounce-back year for the Atlanta Braves in 2019, hitting .259 with 37 home runs and 94 RBI in 155 games. But a new team, environment, and only one solid year since 2017 does have worry in the back of some minds.

As a fan, I like to ignore those fears until they actually manifest themselves on the field. But it is something to discuss. Could he hit over .260 with 20 Bombas and 60 RBI? Absolutely! But I could also see him struggle at times and not achieve the high expectations we have for him right off the bat.

THE WAITING GAME

In the end, we will have to be patient. Even if we are beyond excited and ready for live MLB baseball to come back into our lives with fans or without.

As we have mentioned before, this team has been building towards a deep postseason run for the last few seasons. So it is time they put it all together in this quick 60-game season and bring home even more optimism and maybe even a trophy to end the drought.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/numbers-are-bound-to-get-weird-during-60-game-twins-season/feed/ 0 Fri, 10 Jul 2020 21:18:26 +0000 Minnesota Twins Twins Schedule Released; Not A Single Loss to Be Found https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-schedule-released-not-a-single-loss-to-be-found/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-schedule-released-not-a-single-loss-to-be-found/#respond Mon, 06 Jul 2020 23:34:22 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26778 It was busy day for professional sports and their 2020 restart plans! Not only did we learn when the NHL is looking to begin their playoffs, but we also learned about the Twins 60-game regular season schedule!

We already knew the breakdown of the number of games they would play against both the AL and NL Central…for the most part. But we now know when to turn on Fox Sports North and root for them with peanuts, cracker jacks, and most importantly a few brews.

TWINS 60-0 CONFIRMED

Looking at the released schedule, there is no way in my mind the Twins do NOT go a perfect 60-0. And 11-0 in the playoffs en route to a World Series win. After opening the season on July 24 in primetime against the White Sox in Chicago, they swing back to Target Field for a seven game home stand.

My initial thoughts on this schedule is that it is nowhere near a gauntlet. Yes, we knew the Twins would have the easiest strength of schedule (.449 opponent win% in 2019). But to see where opponents are placed, this is an even better scenario.

The toughest teams they are going to face are the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers. Neither are scheduled in back-to-back series and all series against those two are bookended by teams the Twins can (and have) feasted on with their current roster.

EVERYTHING FALLING INTO PLACE

Initially, we thought the Twins were going to play 40 games against their AL Central foes as well as an equal breakdown between the NL Central teams for the remaining 20 games. However, to try and ignite some regional rivalries and cut down on COVID exposure and travel, the Twins will face off against a different mix of NL Central teams. So they will see the Milwaukee Brewers six times instead of four.

Here is how it breaks down:

OpponentGame Split
Chicago White Sox3 home / 7 away
Cleveland Indians7 home / 3 away
Detroit Tigers6 home / 4 away
Kansas City Royals4 home / 6 away
Milwaukee Brewers3 home / 3 away
Pittsburgh Pirates2 home / 2 away
St. Louis Cardinals2 home / 2 away
Chicago Cubs3 away
Cincinatti Reds3 home

MARK YOUR SPOT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE

It really couldn’t have fallen better for the Twins. Seven…SEVEN…games at home against the Indians is insane. The Indians have the second easiest schedule based-off 2019 records. So to have seven games at home is a godsend.

Without fans (at least to start) the season, home-field advantage may not be matter as much. But it is still better to play at home than on the road. Even having to go play the majority of games against the Royals and White Sox on the road doesn’t have me worried. I am giddy at how this lines up.

The biggest question will be how the Twins perform from August 14 – September 2nd. Over that span, they will play 20 games with no days off. That is the most allowed under the CBA, but it shouldn’t cause too much concern as they only face the Indians and Brewers once each during that span.

Everything is ready for a Twins World Series run. Expect Luis Arraez hitting .400, plenty of Bombas, and heading back to the playoffs. Book it!

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/twins-schedule-released-not-a-single-loss-to-be-found/feed/ 0 Mon, 06 Jul 2020 18:34:28 +0000 Minnesota Twins There’s No Spitting in Baseball. https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/#respond Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:16:43 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26320

America’s Pastime is finally back on the calendar! As we have been discussing the last few days, this abnormal season will come with some strange caveats. Whether it is the combining of divisions or the National League using designated hitters, there are a ton of quirks to unwrap.

Yet, two interesting rules deserve a deeper look. Both could alter the game as we know it, for better or worse.

  1. No Spitting!
  2. Games going into extra innings will begin with a runner on 2nd base.

NO SPITTING

This new “rule” both makes sense, and doesn’t, all at once. It makes sense because of COVID-19, duh! The whole reason this season is shortened (outside of the MLBPA-MLB negotiation debacle) is because of the global pandemic.

We knew precautions would to be taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19. To what extent, however, was relatively unknown. The Athletic , however, obtained the MLB’s proposal on health and safety regulations back in May.

Most of what was agreed to, makes sense. From daily temperature checks to multiple tests per week. However, some things are more borderline. The first controversial rule change surrounds… spitting.

How?

Baseball players are notorious for spitting. Whether it’s tobacco, which is something the league has been trying to curb anyway (good luck), or if it’s just innocent sunflower seeds… don’t do it. You cannot purposefully launch anything from your mouth. That includes plain spit, without an added projectile.

How is the MLB going to enforce this? Spitting is part of baseball. Yes, even if you think it’s disgusting, Karen.

via GIPHY

With baseball being one of the few sports where there is minimal proximity between players, outside of the batter’s box, it doesn’t quite make sense. What if you are the pitcher? You are 60-plus feet from any other player, prior to the pitch. So does spitting on the grass really spread the disease? No.

We aren’t even sure what type of punishment will be handed down, to those who do spit (god forbid). How will they monitor each individual during a game? It is a massive overreach to think putting it in the protocols will curb it. Good luck, Manfred. You’ve been spitting in the proverbial face of baseball fans since you became commissioner.

RUNNER ON 2ND TO START EXTRA INNINGS

Now we are talking! A concept that has floated around the league for years is finally coming to fruition. A runner will start on 2nd base now, during extra innings. Even if it is just for a single season, I’m here for it.

With the regular season starting up on either July 23rd or 24th and ending around September 27th, they have to cram 60 games into 67 days. Not ideal, especially when Mother Nature will likely cause delays, plus some unconditioned players will become fatigued faster. I don’t need to watch another Twins-Red Sox game go 17 innings…

WILL A RUNNER ON SECOND BE EFFECTIVE?

I am ecstatic for this! The Twins have Byron Buxton (*vigorously knocks on wood*). His blazing speed should help end games quickly. Even if he isn’t at 100% or rules stop him from being “the guy”, the Twins have others who could be utilized for their speed, as well.

This rule has been implemented in the minors, for a few seasons, and some have found it to be anti-climactic. Craig Calcaterra of Yahoo! Sports mentioned, that it often leads to the first batter just bunting the runner over, before being driven in by a sacrifice fly. This is great, if you have to be somewhere or have to wake up early… but not the best for those who love the strategy behind the game.

Think of this season as a test run, for the rule. Back in 2017, commissioner Rob Manfred doubted the “runner on 2nd” rule would ever be used in the MLB. Now if this experiment goes well, expect players to lobby for it in the upcoming CBA negotiations.

LET ‘ER RIP!

Sure, spitting isn’t a necessary part of the game. But it does impact how players prepare and has become engrained in some of their routines. As for the runner on second to start extras? Let ‘er rip!

The Twins are poised for greatness, in 2020. I am absolutely game. Especially if it brings the Twin Cities its first major championship since the 1991 Twins.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-implements-no-spitting-and-runner-on-second-to-begin-extras-rules-for-2020-season/feed/ 0 Wed, 24 Jun 2020 20:18:13 +0000 Minnesota Twins Owners Force Hand; Major League Baseball is Coming Back… For Real This Time https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/#respond Tue, 23 Jun 2020 02:11:49 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26205

After two months of childish bickering, Major League Baseball is FINALLY coming back. Tonight, MLB owners announced their plans to implement a 60-game season, after the MLBPA rejected their latest offer. This time though, it seems we are at the end of this long, drawn out nightmare.

PLAY BALL!

This all happened after the MLBPA voted 30-5 against the league’s latest proposal. That proposal included an expanded postseason and universal designated hitter in 2020 and 2021. It also included the inability for players to file a grievance against the league for lost revenue.

While owners could have gone with a 50-game season, as previously thought, they appear to have taken the high road (or that is what they will say). Instead, they’re offering the same 60 games they did in their last proposal, even though the players rejected it. In theory, this “olive branch” also decreases the players’ likelihood of filing any legal action against the league and owners, for negotiating in “bad faith”.

Two hurdles that still remain….

  1. The league asked the union if players would be ready to report IN SEVEN DAYS (July 1).
  2. Will players agree to the Operating Manual that lays out health and safety protocols for the season. Remember that COVID-19 is still a thing.

But ONE FUCKING WEEK to get ready? Way to play hard ball…

WHAT ABOUT THE TWINS?

This isn’t the best case scenario for the Twins. They are built for a marathon, not a 60-game mad-dash.

While they could absolutely dominate in this type of season, there is so much variation to put any tangible faith in it. Just look at how they performed during certain 60-game stretches last year.

Ok, nevermind. Bring your parka. It’s cold here in November.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/owners-force-hand-major-league-baseball-is-coming-back-for-real-this-time/feed/ 0 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 21:11:53 +0000 Minnesota Twins Half of the Minnesota Twins’ 2020 Draft Class Remains Unsigned But UDFA’s Are Starting to Roll In https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/half-of-the-minnesota-twins-2020-draft-class-remains-unsigned-but-udfas-are-starting-to-roll-in/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/half-of-the-minnesota-twins-2020-draft-class-remains-unsigned-but-udfas-are-starting-to-roll-in/#respond Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:44:02 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=26106

What is Major League Baseball going to do this year? Play 60 games? 70? I sure hope it isn’t 50. The season still hasn’t started yet, as we now approach July. If the timeline from the owners’ original proposal had played out, we’d be getting ready to play games… That’s how fractured the two sides have become.

While the league and it’s players try to drown baseball in the present, the Minnesota Twins are focusing on their future. They have signed two of their four draft picks and have scooped up a few undrafted free agents, as well.

A normal MLB draft consists of 40 rounds. The COVID-19 shortened draft was diminished to five. This put pressure on the front office, to select players that will make an impact sooner rather than later. Keith Law doesn’t think the Twins accomplished that.

There is a silver lining to the minimized draft, though. In your typical draft, players often are offered slot values all the way into the 10th round. Some are able to make upwards of $140,000 before even putting on the uniform. However, with the shortened draft and money supposedly tight, the league has mandated a maximum of $20,000 be spent on any one undrafted free agent. This also forces teams to get creative, with how they sign the best players still available.

WHERE THE TWINS STAND WITH DRAFT PICKS

Entering the draft, the Twins were given a bonus pool allotment of only $4,528,600 to use for all four of their draft picks (they lost two picks to the signing of Josh Donaldson and in the Kenta Maeda trade). While that may seem like a lot, it pales in comparison of what teams at the top of the draft have to work with. If they do not sign a pick, that picks slot value is subtracted from the team’s total bonus pool.

Here is where the Twins stand on signing their draft picks:

RoundPlayerSlot ValueSigned For
1Aaron Sabato (1B)$2,570,100Unsigned
2Alerick Soularie (OF)$1,185,500$900,000
4Marco Raya (RHP)$442,900$410,000
5Kala’i Rosario (OF)$330,100Unsigned

For those who are mathematically-inclined, this means the Twins have used $1,310,000 of their bonus pool and have $3,218,600 remaining. It is also crucial to recognize the signings of Soularie and Raya were for less than their slot value. Giving the team wiggle room to negotiate with both Sabato and Rosario. I expect them to sign soon.

But as noted above, the draft picks are not the only players the Twins have had their eyes on. They have made additional moves to lure in quality undrafted free agents in the last two weeks.

JOHN STANKIEWICZ (RHP) — FORDHAM

The first UFDA the Twins picked up is beyond quality in my mind. Stankiewicz, a seasoned collegiate player at Fordham, racked up excellent career numbers in college. From his 145 to 37 strikeout to walk ratio in 135 innings pitched to his solid 2.00 ERA and 30 earned runs. The kid has the goods and was criminally underrated coming into the draft. He was even named the 9th best college pitcher according to D1Baseball analytics.

His numbers only improved once he was moved out of the bullpen and into a starting role in 2019 and into 2020. Since then, he has posted a 1.51 ERA while having the NCAA’s 6th lowest ERA (1.47) and 9th lowest WHIP (.901) in 2019.

Those performances garnered him the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year and a 3rd-Team All-American selection. With a nasty curveball and a four-pitch arsenal, Stankiewicz could make an immediate impact in the minors.

Yet the most interesting aspect of his signing is how the Twins utilized rookie and former undrafted free agent Randy Dobnak and technology to sell him. As he told Dan Hayes of The Athletic:

“I’m really intrigued by everything they have from the technology side. All the analytical stuff is a big tool in baseball now, and it’s something I can definitely use to develop and get better…One of the selling points of the organization was Dobnak. When you’re talking about a non-drafted guy, everybody’s first year is, am I going to get a chance? Well, Dobnak got a chance. He pitched Game 2.”

John Stankiewicz – Twins Undrafted Free Agent

LUKE SWEANY (LHP) — PACIFIC

Sweany, a 6′ 6″ left-hander out of Pacific University won’t turn as many heads as Stankiewicz. But his height is something I believe the Twins were high on to assist in his other areas of development.

Although his shortened 2020 season was worrisome. Going 1-4 in five starts and allowing 13 earned runs while only striking out 14 in 21.2 innings. It will be a process to mold him into what that Twins want.

While he isn’t the strikeout or command machine Stankiewicz is, striking out 93 in 113 innings pitched and a career ERA of 4.62, he has the tools to become a reliever the Twins need in the coming years.

ALLANTE HALL (C) — PENSACOLA STATE

Another project, Hall had a winding path through his collegiate career. Originally committed to Arkansas coming out of high school and ranked the 38th best catching prospect, Hall wound up at Howard College before transferring too Pensacola.

It makes sense as to why he never broke into the most competitive collegiate conference too. At Howard, he batted a decent .273/.431/.432 but could never quite find his bearings. He struck out 10 times in 44 at-bats and his power is lacking as he hit only two doubles, one triple, and a single homer in 2019.

As for 2020, it was even worse. Batting .214/.340/.262 in 13 games while striking out 11 times in 42 at bats.

ZARION SHARPE (LHP) — UNC-WILLMINGTON

Another seasoned college player, Sharpe has potential. Over his four seasons with UNC-Willmington he racked up a 12-6 record in 38 appearances (33 starts) while obtaining a 147-60 strikeout to walk ratio in 157 innings.

While not a top-end prospect, Sharpe has the potential to command the zone and keep runners off the base paths with his 6′ 4″ height and 1.287 career WHIP.

We will keep you updated of any additional Twins UFDA signings as they occur.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/half-of-the-minnesota-twins-2020-draft-class-remains-unsigned-but-udfas-are-starting-to-roll-in/feed/ 0 Sat, 20 Jun 2020 19:44:07 +0000 Minnesota Twins MLB and Players Union Reportedly Closing in on Agreement…. or Maybe Not? https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-and-players-union-reportedly-closing-in-on-agreement-or-maybe-not/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-and-players-union-reportedly-closing-in-on-agreement-or-maybe-not/#respond Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:12:43 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=25921

According to MLB Network Insider, Jon Heyman, the Major League Baseball owners and the players union are finally closing in on an agreement. This is coming after a very ugly and publicized feud between the two sides.

Not so fast…

It looked like Commissioner Rob Manfred may have finally pulled his head out of his ass, after back tracking on his own comments earlier this week. Manfred recently said he is 100% sure there will be a MLB season, only to say he can’t guarantee that a few days later.

Not so fast…. because as other baseball insiders are coming to the Twitter machine, reports are conflicting on where conversations actually are. Jon Heyman’s report from above is being disputed by ESPN and The Athletic reporters, alike.

What we know for sure:

Rob Manfred reportedly called a meeting with players union chief Tony Clark Wednesday morning. Apparently, Manfred was sick of being bullied by the the media, players and his owners.

In order for an deal to consumate, the MLB players will have to drop any legal grievances they are threatening and the owners will have to offer the players full prorated salaries for any amount of games that will be played.

All of this news is coming just a day after multiple MLB players posted tweets saying “tell us when and where”, implying that they are sick of this publicized argument and ready to finally play ball.

Players were telling owners that negotiations were done. Tell us where to play and we will be there….. but they were also going to bring legal action at the same time.

It looks like it worked because the owners seem here to “play ball”.

We will be here to update you, when we know something more definite. We are closer to playing baseball in 2020… we do know that much. It has been a roller coaster the past couple weeks and hopefully it’s time to put that behind us so we can watch the Twins win their third World Series…. but who knows, at this point.

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-twins/mlb-and-players-union-reportedly-closing-in-on-agreement-or-maybe-not/feed/ 0 Wed, 17 Jun 2020 14:49:19 +0000 Minnesota Twins