Is anybody watching the Twins/Tigers game?

[Roy Hobbs]

It stinks that the Yankees are going to have an easy game tomorrow, but I've got to say, this is a classic game.

[yall hate]

I didnt get to watch the game, but I am pretty disapointed  Minny won...I think Detroit had a better chance against the Yanks.  Oh well.

[Roy Hobbs]

I didnt get to watch the game, but I am pretty disapointed  Minny won...I think Detroit had a better chance against the Yanks.  Oh well.

In theory, I think that's right.  However, if momentum counts for anything, the Tigers haven't been playing terribly great.  Maybe the hotter team will be more of a challenge.

Regardless, I don't think either team could beat the Yankees.  Still, I'll be pulling hard for Mauer and the Twins.

[MBz]

I feel as if the Twins have a better shot.  I think their offense is better suited for the Yanks, I think the small ball, and contact hitting will be the way to get to them.  I think it's unlikely they win, but hopefully they make things tough for them.

[star18]

If you missed the Tigers/Twins 1 game playoff yesterday it really was a great game.  Many opportunites to score and close out the games and both teams went back and forth for 12 innings. 

Here is the part of the game I do not understand.  Watch the last play of the game where there is a base hit and Clete Thomas fields it while Carlos Gomez scores.  Not here to criticize Thomas, he is a young player, but the way he goes after that ball and makes the throw looks ridiculous to me.  He basically jogs in towards to ball, gets in position to field the ball, gathers it in and makes a throw towards home that is too late, as Gomez scores. 

On that play, Thomas has to sprint towards the ball the second he sees it is a ground ball to the right side.  After sprinting towards the ball, he has to grab it barehanded and make an unbelievably quick throw to home.  That is their only chance to stay in the game, otherwise the Tigers season is over.  Now obviously that would be an extremely difficult play to make but he didn't even make an attempt to do that.  He just jogged in after the ball and made a routine going through the motions play on it.

I think I could have thrown out Gomez on that play by sprinting in, barehanding the ball and making a really quick throw home. Just because you don't see players do it doesn't mean it can't be done.  I've always noticed that on tag ups or guys trying to score to win a game on a play to the outfield the outfielders never seem put in the effort to throw the guy out.  It is always a basic going through the motions play. That is the last play of the season, you have to take a bigger gamble than that.

[star18]

Now that I watch the replay, the effort Thomas puts in just looks ridiculous to me.  From the moment the ball is hit, he is jogging in towards the ball and by the time he gathers it in his glove and then releases it, it seems like way too long of a time.  It seems like he is just going after a routine base hit.  You have to sprint in after that ball, as fast as Gomez was running towards home, barehand it and release it quickly.

If that exact same ball is hit to me 10 times and I am playing right field I bet I throw out Gomez at least once.   What I will tell you is that all 10 times I will sprint after the ball and attempt to barehand it and release it all in one motion.

[Roy Hobbs]

If you missed the Tigers/Twins 1 game playoff yesterday it really was a great game.  Many opportunites to score and close out the games and both teams went back and forth for 12 innings. 

Here is the part of the game I do not understand.  Watch the last play of the game where there is a base hit and Clete Thomas fields it while Carlos Gomez scores.  Not here to criticize Thomas, he is a young player, but the way he goes after that ball and makes the throw looks ridiculous to me.  He basically jogs in towards to ball, gets in position to field the ball, gathers it in and makes a throw towards home that is too late, as Gomez scores. 

On that play, Thomas has to sprint towards the ball the second he sees it is a ground ball to the right side.  After sprinting towards the ball, he has to grab it barehanded and make an unbelievably quick throw to home.  That is their only chance to stay in the game, otherwise the Tigers season is over.  Now obviously that would be an extremely difficult play to make but he didn't even make an attempt to do that.  He just jogged in after the ball and made a routine going through the motions play on it.

I think I could have thrown out Gomez on that play by sprinting in, barehanding the ball and making a really quick throw home. Just because you don't see players do it doesn't mean it can't be done.  I've always noticed that on tag ups or guys trying to score to win a game on a play to the outfield the outfielders never seem put in the effort to throw the guy out.  It is always a basic going through the motions play. That is the last play of the season, you have to take a bigger gamble than that.

Maybe he thought he could get more power on the throw by fielding the ball cleanly, setting his feet, and making a strong throw?

I don't think there's much of anything anybody in the league could have done to prevent that run from scoring.  The baserunner was one of the fastest guys on the Twins, and the ball made it to the outfield slowly.  I don't think the outfielder took any more time than necessary to get to the ball; he hustled over there and threw the ball quickly.  I mean, arguably, he could have shaved off some milliseconds by taking a slightly different angle, getting over there slightly more quickly, but ultimately, it wouldn't have mattered.

[Redz]

Fun game.

Of course I missed the game winning hit after I got home and could not find what channel it was on.  I tried TBS a couple of times and it was on commercial.

[Rondo2287]

Now that I watch the replay, the effort Thomas puts in just looks ridiculous to me.  From the moment the ball is hit, he is jogging in towards the ball and by the time he gathers it in his glove and then releases it, it seems like way too long of a time.  It seems like he is just going after a routine base hit.  You have to sprint in after that ball, as fast as Gomez was running towards home, barehand it and release it quickly.

If that exact same ball is hit to me 10 times and I am playing right field I bet I throw out Gomez at least once.   What I will tell you is that all 10 times I will sprint after the ball and attempt to barehand it and release it all in one motion.

First of all barehanding it while sprinting is an incredibly difficult play which would lead to no throw home at all probably 4-5/10 times.  Second of all he was shaded over to centerfield which made it tough.  Had he been squarely in right field he may have been able to complete the throw home with more power and accuracy, but he was sprinting sideways to get to the ball which lead to his momentum not being towards the place.  Thomas was put into the game as a defensive replacement because of his arm.  Lets not underestimate his abilities or effort because you think you could make the play.

[Rondo2287]

I didnt get to watch the game, but I am pretty disapointed  Minny won...I think Detroit had a better chance against the Yanks.  Oh well.

In theory, I think that's right.  However, if momentum counts for anything, the Tigers haven't been playing terribly great.  Maybe the hotter team will be more of a challenge.

Regardless, I don't think either team could beat the Yankees.  Still, I'll be pulling hard for Mauer and the Twins.

Agreed, I know they say playoffs dont count but I think this is one more feather in the Mauer for MVP cap.

[star18]

Yes it is an incredibly difficult to play to make, and it is also the only way to throw Gomez out.  The way he goes after the ball, nobody is getting thrown out like that.    And yes it is true that 5 times out of 10 you most likely don't even get a throw off if you sprint in and barehand it.   If you look at how much time Thomas takes to gather the ball in his glove take two steps and then throw it makes no sense.  He jogs over to that ball way too slow, that wasn't a full sprint.   And being in right field you have to be thinking if there is any ground ball to the right side I better start sprinting in and barehand it and release it in one motion.

[Chris]

I didnt get to watch the game, but I am pretty disapointed  Minny won...I think Detroit had a better chance against the Yanks.  Oh well.

In theory, I think that's right.  However, if momentum counts for anything, the Tigers haven't been playing terribly great.  Maybe the hotter team will be more of a challenge.

Regardless, I don't think either team could beat the Yankees.  Still, I'll be pulling hard for Mauer and the Twins.

Agreed, I know they say playoffs dont count but I think this is one more feather in the Mauer for MVP cap.

I don't think he needs any more feathers.  If he doesn't run away with it, I will be surprised.

Is anyone else getting a 2007 Rockies vibe from this Twins team?  Just a team hitting their stride right at the right time.

[star18]

I do think I could have made the play 1 out of 10 times, because I would have approached the play differently.  The way Thomas approaches that ball, nobody is getting thrown out.

[Rondo2287]

I didnt get to watch the game, but I am pretty disapointed  Minny won...I think Detroit had a better chance against the Yanks.  Oh well.

In theory, I think that's right.  However, if momentum counts for anything, the Tigers haven't been playing terribly great.  Maybe the hotter team will be more of a challenge.

Regardless, I don't think either team could beat the Yankees.  Still, I'll be pulling hard for Mauer and the Twins.

Agreed, I know they say playoffs dont count but I think this is one more feather in the Mauer for MVP cap.

I don't think he needs any more feathers.  If he doesn't run away with it, I will be surprised.

Is anyone else getting a 2007 Rockies vibe from this Twins team?  Just a team hitting their stride right at the right time.

Trust me, I want him to get and think he definitly deserves it, I just hear all the NY media clammoring for a Jeter MVP this season.  I guess its just the small market vs big market that worries me.  Course Morneau has won it too so maybe Im thinking to much about it.

[Rondo2287]

I do think I could have made the play 1 out of 10 times, because I would have approached the play differently.  The way Thomas approaches that ball, nobody is getting thrown out.

Not a chance.  He is a major league player in their for his defensive ability and he could not make the play.  I dont think he jogged on it. But I guarentee even if he was going 75% thats better than most peoples all out sprints.  He is in the MLB for a reason.  Only way that play gets made is if he is coming at it straight on because of positioning in the outfield.  Im not sure Raul Mondesi or Vlad in their primes make that throw though on Gomez.