JoeC

…and the next pitch.

True. Still, I would rather face them sputtering across the finish line than "rested up" and motivated to play spoiler.

Disagree - the Twins would LOVE to play spoiler to us. Keep them motivated against all teams. Don't give them the luxury of circling the Sox games on their calendars. Make them face the Sox after a long, hard, arduous grind.

…and gives it right back.

Seems like the kind of feat someone like Chris Singleton would have pulled off.

Andrus has been wonderful, made extra delightful because of literally zero expectations. He arrived as a castoff to a team that had hit (at least we hope) rock bottom, and he has done nothing but surpass those zero expectations. Look at his body of work versus TA, and I still take TA. The difference in perception is that TA carries a higher expectation because of his ceiling and ability as a player. I do wish TA showed more of what Elvis has shown on D (consistency and self-awareness), but TA on the aggregate is a better and more productive ballplayer at this point in their careers. Full stop.

...and hopefully Elvis is showing these guys what it means to play hard each and every day with focus.

If other position players were meeting expectations, the standards I would have for 2B and RF would be to have one impact bat with a decent glove (RF) + one good glove who can produce at a league-average level with the bat (100 OPS+)

It's possible to have youth without sacrificing productivity.

Waiting for the first post in this thread suggesting Burger should play 2B . . . .

Fuuuuuuuuuck…,

Rally Dump?

Wait - no swearing?

Rios I agree. Dunn - you could tell he at least gave a s%*#. A (or at least a B) for effort. These errors we've seen this season are mental mistakes.

I'll take that.

If there was a corner turned, it was always an even number of corners.

I guess I don't remember it being so endemic as it has been since TLR's taken over. The end of the Ozzie years was bad, but I don't ever remember it being this bad from a body language standpoint, effort standpoint, etc. He's the kind of leader who would come in and tear people a new one and get respect in an environment like the current team. The message may wear thin after awhile, but that's the kind of personality the team needs right now.

Was it ever really an issue of effort or focus under Ozzie? Ozzie wasn't afraid to challenge his guys for things other than hitting a 3-0 pitch off of a position player.

Agreed. Unfortunately you need an Ozzie type here.

This team needs accountability. It didn't cost us anything, but Yoan digging it after Andrus' missed catch (not Elvis' fault there) is indicative of that effort.

I mean, when is the last time you saw poor play / effort called out and held accountable? If Harrison is as good of a clubhouse influence and leader as he is supposed to be, i would think even he would agree

If I'm Cairo I pull Harrison right now in the middle of the inning.

Looks like Lance has decided that there are more pitches to throw besides fastballs.

I’m not saying his isn’t due to stress, and I’m not insinuating anything about knowing anything about TLR’s condition. My post was in response to someone saying that keeping an eye on your stressful workplace can’t be considered a health risk. not sure how I gave you the impression otherwise.

As someone who works a pretty stressful job that has nearly caused nervous breakdowns and physical ailments as a result of stress, being exposed to any part of it during my off hours is extremely stress-inducing and has strongly negatively impacted my health. I disagree vehemently with your statement.