Sunday Night Poll: Can the Twins Still Make the Playoffs?
by Jesse on Aug 16, 2009 6:55 PM EDT
in WTF
17 comments
Actually, yes, they can. But WILL they? Anyone?
These aren't good odds, nobody is fooling themselves here. But can they do it? Before losing to the Indians this afternoon, PECOTA gave the Twins a 13.3% chance of making the playoffs, according to traditional data. It's less for the ELO-adjusted projections (11%) and the PECOTA's player-performance rates-adjusted odds (6.7%). I'm guessing today's loss doesn't do much for those odds.
Out of the eight teams you could still consider "in it" (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Angels, Rangers, Tigers, White Sox and Twins), Minnesota is a distant eighth. There isn't even a gambling man's hope of a Wild Card slot.
Let's hear it...
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As much as I hate to say it
I am going with ‘no’. Things are just not going well for the Twins, and at this point in the season, I can’t say they even deserve to go to the playoffs.
Doesn’t mean I won’t stop watching until the very last game, but I’m not holding on to playoff hopes anymore. :(
by fischean on Aug 16, 2009 7:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
They're
They’re pitching is terrible all around: their bullpen has always sucked, their starting staff is hurt and falling apart, and they’re chasing two separate teams at this point. Sorry folks, but I’ll just be watching to see Mauer’s swing from now on.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane
by AdamOnFirst on Aug 16, 2009 7:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Possible, yes
Probable, no. Realistically, they would have to start playing a lot better than they have recently AND the Tigers and the CWS would both have to collapse.
Seeing the broken-spirited faces of the Twins today, it looks like they’ve given up. One last shot of Dome magic would be nice though. I’ll still be there ’til the end.
"Don't take life for granted, because tomorrow isn't promised to any one of us." -Kirby Puckett
by less cowbell, more 'neau on Aug 16, 2009 7:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The look on their faces
A good point about the look on the Twins’ faces today. They came into the series talking about going 6-0 on the homestand, this 2-4 is a total disaster against these two teams, and the players know it. At this point, they can’t blame management, because management did actually make a couple decent moves that helped a little.
Joe C had a great tweet today while he was covering the game. It went basically like this: Sign of the times, Blackburn K’s Hafner to end the 2nd, Twins go around the horn, forgot # of outs
They know it too folks.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane
by AdamOnFirst on Aug 17, 2009 3:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Twins keep taking out Brendan Harris a Solid Infielder & Hitter & replace him with not as good players they don’t know What the Heck they are doing !!! He has one error & they sit him- doesn’t make sense————- Boo to Management !!!
by marvsmerc on Aug 16, 2009 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Over 80 Percent
You can have faith for a long time….and I would even say stern things to some of the criticizers.. but now I am one of them. They need to do something drastically for me to make time to watch them from here on out this season.
Favorite Comedians: Mike Birbiglia, Doug Benson, Daniel Tosh, Delmon Young in Left Field.
by y2jayjk on Aug 16, 2009 8:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No
Might as well start building for next year
by Hjorvarthr on Aug 16, 2009 10:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree
The Twins have made some good midseason moves this year in getting Pavano and Cabrera. Those guys have improved the team and it hasn’t cost the organization much long term. If this was the Twins’ year, those guys would have helped but at this point it is pretty obvious that this is not their year.
The team is still very close to being a contender, there just isn’t anything they could do right now to get there by the end of this season. There certainly isn’t anything they can do at a reasonable cost. Throwing assets at a wasted season when their window of competition should be open for several more seasons would be a mistake.
I’m just going to watch and hope for the greatest offensive season by a catcher ever from Mauer.
by ckb on Aug 17, 2009 2:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They need to get Rockies-hot. They have the players to do it, but that kind of thing hardly ever happens.
by JonathanR on Aug 17, 2009 12:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Not really
they just dont have the pitching to go on a run. Starting pitching and the pen are just a nightmare.
by guinness junky on Aug 17, 2009 2:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sure they do
The pitching obviously can’t pitch like it is now, but there is talent there.
by JonathanR on Aug 17, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I actually hope not
They would get destroyed in the playoffs. Getting there would only make them pat thier backs and think they were great, even during a first round sweep. The less Punto plays, the better the chances of the Twins winning.
by dakotajim on Aug 17, 2009 2:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is
This is an interesting point that was made a couple weeks ago while they were busy getting demolished by the Angels for the second time in 10 days. The Twins won like 2 out of 10 games against the Angels, got swept on the season by the Yankees, went at best .500 against the Rangers, and without looking because I’m lazy, did not win many against the Red Sox. Gordo and Dazzle were talking about this: even if the Twins DID make the playoffs, they’ve gotten killed by the real big boy playoff teams this year anyway.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane
by AdamOnFirst on Aug 17, 2009 3:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they are playing
there worst baseball fo the season. The 2006 team was 8.5 games back of Detroit and 6.5 back of Chicago at this point. But they were also 20 games over.500 and featured Johan Santana in the starting rotation. This team has shown no ability to go on a winning streak. Especially when you have a home stand against the bottom feeder teams in your division and you go 2-4. At this point even if they win 5 in a row and get to .500 they still might be 3-4 games back.
JT
by STLVikesFAN on Aug 17, 2009 8:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No
I’m just going to enjoy baseball while I can and hope they can still finish in 3rd place.
by caluofmn on Aug 17, 2009 1:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Good point, they are closer to the Indians that the Tigers. Yikes.
by dakotajim on Aug 17, 2009 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I may be a sox fan..
But that aside, I figured the twins to make a break for it after the all star break and take the division..
by Pretender85 on Aug 17, 2009 11:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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