Twins Baseball 2014

[Ray77]

Sorry, Ray77, but no way do Seattle, Baltimore, Toronto, Kansas City, or San Francisco throw $10 million at Torii Hunter.

 

No, I never said that.  I was just quoting from an article that said those were the teams that were interested in Hunter.  Nothing about what they would offer him.

[MafiaMan]

No, I never said that. I was just quoting from an article that said those were the teams that were interested in Hunter. Nothing about what they would offer him.

Roger that. I know there were other teams looking at Hunter but the Twins appear to have out-bid only themselves for his services.

[jdub27]

And the Torii Hunter Era: Part Deux is off to a rousing start!

 

When Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press asked Hunter about his previous, well-documented statements against gay marriage and support of political candidates who share his viewpoint, he called Berardino a “prick” and said he was done talking about the topic.

  

But wait, there’s more. In speaking to the Minnesota media the former Gold Glove-winning center fielder was also asked about his increasingly poor defensive numbers in right field, to which Hunter replied: "Whoever believes in that sabermetrics stuff never played the game."

[choyt3]

This should go real well. Great investment. 

 

 

And the Torii Hunter Era: Part Deux is off to a rousing start!

Quote

When Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press asked Hunter about his previous, well-documented statements against gay marriage and support of political candidates who share his viewpoint, he called Berardino a “prick” and said he was done talking about the topic.

  

Quote

But wait, there’s more. In speaking to the Minnesota media the former Gold Glove-winning center fielder was also asked about his increasingly poor defensive numbers in right field, to which Hunter replied: "Whoever believes in that sabermetrics stuff never played the game."

[MafiaMan]

And the Torii Hunter Era: Part Deux is off to a rousing start!

 

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something here, but what part of Mike Bernardino's question was relevant to the Twins and their 2015 season? 

[SiouxScore]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something here, but what part of Mike Bernardino's question was relevant to the Twins and their 2015 season? 

Agreed, I was watching the press conference and up to that point everything was going very good and you could see Hunter kind of joking around with some questions and really having fun with it but that question came out of nowhere and really threw off the whole thing. If the writer really wanted to ask about that question he should have asked Hunter after the press conference 1-on-1. I also liked Hunter's answer about metrics when he said you can usually trust what you see a lot more and he takes more value in that.

[nodak651]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something here, but what part of Mike Bernardino's question was relevant to the Twins and their 2015 season? 

Bernardino was on 100.3 in the cities this evening saying that he was just trying to let Torii Hunter defend himself to those bashing him at deadspin.  lol, what a liar...

[nodak651]

Agreed, I was watching the press conference and that question came out of nowhere and really threw off the whole thing. If the writer really wanted to ask about that question he should have asked Hunter after the press conference 1-on-1. 

He said only tv media gets one on ones, and that the twins only let writers talk to players during the press conferences.

[SiouxScore]

He said only tv media gets one on ones, and that the twins only let writers talk to players during the press conferences.

Makes more sense then that he did ask but it still just felt real out of place and awkward.

[jdub27]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something here, but what part of Mike Bernardino's question was relevant to the Twins and their 2015 season?

Maybe it wasn't the right place, maybe it was. I haven't heard what Bernardino's reasoning was fit asking it at that point in time but I'd assume part of that inflated salary is to be a clubhouse leader. Those things are relevant to that. Hunter has pretty much gotten a free pass from the local media in the past for those and other clubhouse issues (fights, airing teammates dirty laundry).

[MafiaMan]

Maybe it wasn't the right place, maybe it was. I haven't heard what Bernardino's reasoning was fit asking it at that point in time but I'd assume part of that inflated salary is to be a clubhouse leader. Those things are relevant to that. Hunter has pretty much gotten a free pass from the local media in the past for those and other clubhouse issues (fights, airing teammates dirty laundry).

His political viewpoints are about as relevant to baseball as what kind of car Torii drives or whether or not he has granite countertops in his house.

[Blackheart]

His political viewpoints are about as relevant to baseball as what kind of car Torii drives or whether or not he has granite countertops in his house.

Who said anything about granite countertops?

[choyt3]

I bet he drives a Bentley.

[Oxbow6]

My question is why does a grown man making a living as a pro athlete and not as rapper or singer continue to end his first name with 2 "i"s?

Simple question.......

[jodcon]

With how his skills have diminished, he's going to have to get off to a pretty good start at the plate to be worth anything.  Even if they do trade him, no way they will get anything other than minor league fill-ins, it will be a cost saving move.

 

 

Outside of last year, Mauer's be worth near what he's been paid.  Hunter won't come near being a $10 million player (which is roughly what Mauer was last year).

 

 

The last 4 years Mauer's stats are .303, 7 HR's, and 54 RBI's per year...if anybody thinks that is a good deal for $23 million a year then maybe Hunter for 10 will be better than expected. Hard to believe where these salaries have gone, I remember when Puckett was the first $2 million dollar man in the prime of his career, now Kershaw's over $30 million...to pitch every 5th day. It's crazy.

[UND-RedSox fan]

The last 4 years Mauer's stats are .303, 7 HR's, and 54 RBI's per year...if anybody thinks that is a good deal for $23 million a year then maybe Hunter for 10 will be better than expected. Hard to believe where these salaries have gone, I remember when Puckett was the first $2 million dollar man in the prime of his career, now Kershaw's over $30 million...to pitch every 5th day. It's crazy.

RBI's are a meaningless team stat. Nobody for the Twins would put up good RBI totals. .303 is a good batting average and he also has put up great OBP numbers (Billy Beane's favorite stat and if it works for him it works for me) and you are ignoring positional value. Mauer had been one of the 2 or 3 best catchers in baseball his entire career. He played good defense and any unbiased opinion thinks he has been worth the value so far. The only people I have ever seen criticize the Mauer contract are either Twins fans or don't know much about baseball. Now that he has moved away from catcher due to concussion issues, he has lost a lot of value. That really couldn't have been expected though. Everyone knew he would eventually have to change position but it couldn't have been predicted to be this early.

[choyt3]

Mauer doesn't get that contract if he is "Joe from Jacksonville". Not with the career numbers he's put up. It's about more than baseball, and you can't quantify that. I still think it is pretty outlandish to spend 1/4 to 1/5 of your entire payroll on one person. 

[jodcon]

RBI's are a meaningless team stat. Nobody for the Twins would put up good RBI totals. .303 is a good batting average and he also has put up great OBP numbers (Billy Beane's favorite stat and if it works for him it works for me) and you are ignoring positional value. Mauer had been one of the 2 or 3 best catchers in baseball his entire career. He played good defense and any unbiased opinion thinks he has been worth the value so far. The only people I have ever seen criticize the Mauer contract are either Twins fans or don't know much about baseball. Now that he has moved away from catcher due to concussion issues, he has lost a lot of value. That really couldn't have been expected though. Everyone knew he would eventually have to change position but it couldn't have been predicted to be this early.

 

I AM a Twins fan, since the days of Killebrew and Oliva in the old Met, and I do know a little bit about baseball. I'm as big a Mauer fan as anybody, but signing him to a $192 million contract knowing that he would probably be moving to first base where the true MVP hitters of the league reside within a few years was as much about needing him as the face of the team for the new ballpark than what his value would be halfway through his contract. If that contract would have been 5 or 6 years I could see it, but now here it is halfway through and he's a first baseman with little power hoping to regain his .300+ average for which they will pay him $92 million for the next 4 years...not the best scenario for a team that can't afford to put a competitive team on the field in the first place.

 

I want the team to be competitive more than I want Mauer to retire a Twin at any price, but maybe that's not what others think so...whatever.

[Fetch]

Im retired & would love to be a regular Twins fan but the product they have is not something I can get there with - imagine a real contender - hard to imagine in the Twins & how often in a life time can they grow a team without spending a fortune - im curious if they could & they filled the seats can or could they afford to do it ? & why don't they really try or sell the team to someone who will ? ? ?