Tag: 2020 Minnesota Twins

Where is that pitching that Falvey was going to fix?

Falvey and Levine with credit to MN Twins

Doing a little research on the state of Minnesota Twins pitching under the Derek Falvey & Thad Levine regime from 2017 to current. These gents were brought in because they were supposedly going to turn around the Twins pitching woes. Let’s see how they are progressing.

There is never any “perfect” way to compare players or teams but I use WAR for other comparisons and I will use it again here. Here is how the Twins pitching staff compared to other pitching staffs across MLB. Keep in mind we are ranking entire pitching staffs and not starting rotations here.

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A historical look at Twins players & their strike outs

Today’s baseball is so different than the baseball I grew up watching over the years. In the old days you had better be a big time slugger if you were strikeout prone or you would find yourself looking for work in the real world. Today’s baseball seems to have no issue with players with high strikeout rates.

In the short 60-game season in 2020 the Minnesota Twins were tenth in runs scored in the American League but thanks to their good pitching (ranked second in the league) they were able to win the division title on the last day when the Chicago White Sox choked coughing up a three game lead with just eight to play by losing seven out of their last eight games.

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2020 Turkey of the Year

Another Twins season ends and another Turkey of the Year appears

What a year 2020 has been. The baseball season started like it does every year with spring training taking place in Florida and Arizona in mid February as normal even though there was chatter about something called the coronavirus taking place and that a world-wide pandemic was imminent.

Then it happened, on March 12th Major League Baseball announced it had cancelled the remainder of its Spring Training games, also announcing that the start of the 2020 regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. https://twitter.com/i/status/1238181980367466496

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So we have baseball again

60 seasons of Minnesota Twins baseball

Prior to the New York Yankee vs Washington Nationals game just a few days ago, (July 23) Major League Baseball had not played a game since the 2019 World Series ended, a span of 266 days, the longest baseball drought in major league history. COVID-19 has caused the Minnesota Twins to miss 105 games before they opened the season on July 24 in Chicago against the White Sox in a season like none of us have ever seen before.

The 2020 MLB season will be just 60 games long, a sprint and not a marathon like we are used too watching in a season that usually lasts 162 games. The changes in MLB this season are mind boggling starting with the fact that the games will be played with no fans in the stands. The Toronto Blue Jays can’t play their home games in Toronto. There is no minor league baseball in 2020. Sixteen teams will make the play-offs. Opening day rosters have 30 players, a couple weeks later they drop to 28 and then a couple weeks after that they drop to 26. No traveling announcers, they will work out of the home ballparks, official scorekeepers will do their work from home by watching games on television with some special feed links.

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MLB highlights unique features for 2020 season

This is a copy of a MLB press Release dated June 29, 2020. I put a copy of it here so that everyone is aware of the rules and regulations that will be used by MLB in 2020.

First Workouts of 2020 Summer Camp presented by Camping World to Be Held

Major League Baseball today announced some of the unique features that will be a part of the 2020 regular season, including health and safety protocols that will impact play on the field as well as revised operating procedures away from it. Summer Camp presented by Camping World begins on Wednesday, July 1st, the mandatory reporting date. All Players and Club staff will be required to go through medical testing and screening processes before entering Club facilities. Full baseball activities and first workouts will be allowed on Friday, July 3rd and each Club’s Opening Day will be held on either Thursday, July 23rd or Friday, July 24th. A sampling of the modifications for the 2020 season, which are documented in the comprehensive Operations Manual that has been distributed to the 30 Major League Clubs, includes:

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Are Rob Manfred and MLB serious?

It appears that yesterday MLB released another trial balloon offering to play the players their pro-rated pay in 2020 but the season would be only 50 game long. Is this some kind of a stupid and sick joke?

I have stated in the past that baseball is like a marathon and not a sprint. I find it ironic that a game with no clock tests teams in every way possible during its 162 game schedule but time is the final true test in determining the champion. Teams having winning streaks, teams go through pitching and hitting slumps, teams suffer long losing streaks, players get injured and players no one has heard of sometimes unexpectedly rise from the minors to help carry their team to victory. This is what makes baseball such an interesting game.

Now MLB is proposing a 50 game season? What a joke. I know that I miss baseball as do all baseball fans everywhere but who in the heck wants to see a 50 game season? I know I don’t, and I have little to no interest in following baseball and my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins in 2020 if that they don’t play a minimum of 100 games. A 50 game MLB season would be a sham and Rob Manfred and his cohorts should be embarrassed to even throw out a proposal like this.

As for the players side of this, if the players accept this proposal and are willing to play this short schedule and risk their health for this proposal, you are not as smart as I thought.

Looking at the Twins single game ticket prices for 2020

The 2019 Twins improved by 23 games over the previous season by winning 101 games under first time manager Rocco Baldelli. Along the way the Twins set numerous team records including scoring an amazing 939 runs and hitting an MLB record 307 home runs. The Bomba Squad had Twins fans excited from game 1 through game 162 and attendance jumped back above the 2.2 million mark making it only the second time since they began play in Target Field in 2010 that attendance has gone up from the previous season. Yes, the Twins made the playoffs but were quickly dispatched in three games in the ALDS by the New York Yankees stretching the Twins losing streak in playoff games to a record breaking 16 games going back to 2004. So what impact did the 2019 season have on Twins ticket prices heading into 2020?

All I am going to say right here is that if you are going to head out to Target Field to watch the winning MInnesota Twins in 2020 you will need to pay a little bit more. If you want to see the details, you can check them on my Twins Ticket Price History page.

Twins unveil baby blue alternate uniform for 2020

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As part of the celebration of the 60th season of Major League Baseball in Minnesota, the Twins on Monday unveiled a throwback baby blue alternate uniform for the 2020 season. The uniform features baby blue tops and pants with “Twins” written in scarlet red cursive lettering as a replica of the club’s road uniform worn during the 1973-86 seasons.

“No uniform in the history of Minnesota Twins baseball drives more fan engagement than the old-school baby blues,” Twins President and CEO Dave St. Peter said. “With that popularity in mind, we are excited to bring this uniform back as part of our 60th Season Celebration. It’s going to be fun to watch the 2020 Twins wearing the same look as Twins legends from the 1970s and 1980s.”

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