MUST SEE: Keith Olbermann Declares Twins Marketing Dept World's Worst In Sports

[drjim]

They should be able to do both and they should drop responding to Olbermann.  I agree.

 

But it seems like executives of the Twins do have more PR experience than they do player experience.  Bill Smith was not a player evaluator.  He was an operational guy.

 

Assistant GM and acting GM when Ryan was out, Rob Antony.  The Twins site lists him as:

 

Baseball operations from 1995 to 2007.  Media Relations 1988 to 1995.  Seems like a red flag to me that the last GM and potentially the next GM have no experience in what they would be asked to do. 

 

http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/66054352/twins-announce-front-office-promotions

 

I think there is virtually no chance Antony is the next GM, but at some point his last 20 years should count more than 7 years of work 20 years ago.

[bird]

They should be able to do both and they should drop responding to Olbermann.  I agree.

 

But it seems like executives of the Twins do have more PR experience than they do player experience.  Bill Smith was not a player evaluator.  He was an operational guy.

 

Assistant GM and acting GM when Ryan was out, Rob Antony.  The Twins site lists him as:

 

Baseball operations from 1995 to 2007.  Media Relations 1988 to 1995.  Seems like a red flag to me that the last GM and potentially the next GM have no experience in what they would be asked to do. 

 

http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/66054352/twins-announce-front-office-promotions

 

Funny thing, I've always viewed the Twins as being a Harvard Business School case study on how NOT to conduct public relations. I didn't need this stupid question on what is probably a sophomoric "survey" to tell me that the Twins management had selected a poor ad agency again. Had been hoping that letting the former Director of Marketing go last year would result in quicker improvement. Looks like they're still a long way from attaining a standard fitting for a billion dollar business with extremely high public scrutiny.  

[tobi0040]

I think there is virtually no chance Antony is the next GM, but at some point his last 20 years should count more than 7 years of work 20 years ago.

 

You have more faith then I do. I can't find Smith's bio, but off memory I think it was very similar to Antony's.

 

Think about it, the Twins would have to tell Antony he is not what they are looking for, our have to fire him outright.  It is much easier to do the nice thing and give him the job.

[LaBombo]

I think there is virtually no chance Antony is the next GM, but at some point his last 20 years should count more than 7 years of work 20 years ago.

Virtually no chance that he'll wind up with a job he's already held on an interim basis, and at a crucial phase of the season?  The Twins have been loyal to the last two field managers to the point of historical folly, so it's hard to see Antony as anything less than the frontrunner for GM when Ryan steps down, despite his obvious, self-inflicted lack of qualification.

[nicksaviking]

Virtually no chance that he'll wind up with a job he's already held on an interim basis, and at a crucial phase of the season?  The Twins have been loyal to the last two field managers to the point of historical folly, so it's hard to see Antony as anything less than the frontrunner for GM when Ryan steps down, despite his obvious, self-inflicted lack of qualification.

 

Prior to his interim GMship I would have agreed that he was a front runner (and I would have been disappointed) but after watching him cause an utter trainwreck with the roster, I'm guessing those in charge are just as skeptical of his abilities as we are.  The team is overly loyal, but I don't think they're giving the job to a guy who absolutely crapped all over himself in his interview.  I'm overly cynical at times, but I do think they are smarter than that.

[LaBombo]

If the Twins are a Yugo, what does that make the Astros? Or the Indians? 

If the bar is set that low then the marketing department has failed before the high jump has begun.

 

KO is right about the survey being silly, but it's not enough to make the Twins marketing department the worst in MLB, let alone all of sports.  Having heard the dull-as-dirt radio and TV spots of some other MLB teams while traveling, the idea that Twins marketing is among the worst in the league is borderline laughable to me.

 

That being said, they've had three years to develop a successful marketing strategy not directly dependent on the quality of the product on the field, and they seem to have yet to really succeed.  At this point, with the absence of creative, aggressive promotions and discounts, it's difficult to imagine how they haven't lost even more of the casual fan base than they have.

[D. Hocking]

You do wonder how long the Twins are going to ride the "6 division titles in 9 years" line. Cherry picking. Are we supposed to forget the 4+ years of utter futility on either end of that stretch?

Listening to his second response really drove it home to me that - it has been four years, and while they should be better next year, it will still probably still be a bit of a rebuilding mediocrity (vs hit rock bottom dreck).  I remembering thinking back in 2011, all teams hit a bad stretch and need to rebuild, but this down period won't be as long as the '90s.   It is different now with more money and the new stadium, there will be more effort to avoid a 5 year tailspin.  It looks like I might have been wrong.

 

I general, I agree with a lot of what Obermann says and think he is intelligent and quick-witted, but I imagine he and his ego might be a little high maintenance.  I don't think he would be the easiest boss or co-worker.

[LaBombo]

Prior to his interim GMship I would have agreed that he was a front runner (and I would have been disappointed) but after watching him cause an utter trainwreck with the roster, I'm guessing those in charge are just as skeptical of his abilities as we are.  The team is overly loyal, but I don't think they're giving the job to a guy who absolutely crapped all over himself in his interview.  I'm overly cynical at times, but I do think they are smarter than that.

Can't tell you how much I hope you're right.  His increased media exposure alone (in addition to being a bad marketing decision) is reason enough for me to fear you won't be, though.  The results of the only new GM hire by the current Pohlad regime doesn't exactly inspire confidence, either.

[nicksaviking]

Can't tell you how much I hope you're right.  His increased media exposure alone (in addition to being a bad marketing decision) is reason enough for me to fear you won't be, though.  The results of the only new GM hire by the current Pohlad regime doesn't exactly inspire confidence, either.

 

True, but I think the lack of public praise of Anthony for stepping in for Ryan during the time of crisis speaks volumes.  I think if St. Peter, the Pohlads or Ryan liked what they saw and still viewed him as successor, we would have heard some very public back patting to help reinforce his position to the fans.  No one seemed to want to touch a shirt soaked in his own vomit though.

[nicksaviking]

If the Twins are a Yugo, what does that make the Astros? Or the Indians? 

 

I don't know, but high profile free agents like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite and Terry Francona generally don't agree to buy Yugos. 

[drjim]

True, but I think the lack of public praise of Anthony for stepping in for Ryan during the time of crisis speaks volumes.  I think if St. Peter, the Pohlads or Ryan liked what they saw and still viewed him as successor, we would have heard some very public back patting to help reinforce his position to the fans.  No one seemed to want to touch a shirt soaked in his own vomit though.

 

I don't believe the vast majority of Twins fans had a notion that Antony had much to do with the beginning of the season. The main issue will be his overall association with the stink of the last four years.

 

The GM will be Terry Ryan or they are going to blow it up. The Pohlads are very loyal, but they aren't stupid.

[Pius Jefferson]

Can't tell you how much I hope you're right.  His increased media exposure alone (in addition to being a bad marketing decision) is reason enough for me to fear you won't be, though.  The results of the only new GM hire by the current Pohlad regime doesn't exactly inspire confidence, either.

 

Wishful thinking on my part, but I think the next time Terry Ryan steps down will be for good. I don't think their going to have that Terry Ryan safety net like they did when Billy Smith crashed and burned. That to me would make it more difficult to hire Rob Antony. 

[drjim]

Wishful thinking on my part, but I think the next time Terry Ryan steps down will be for good. I don't think their going to have that Terry Ryan safety net like they did when Billy Smith crashed and burned. That to me would make it more difficult to hire Rob Antony. 

 

Not wishful thinking, it's reality.

 

The only possible way Antony is the next GM is if it turns around real quick and there is great success for a couple of seasons and Ryan decides to retire then.

[Pius Jefferson]

Not wishful thinking, it's reality.

 

The only possible way Antony is the next GM is if it turns around real quick and there is great success for a couple of seasons and Ryan decides to retire then.

 

I'm not even sure that would be enough for Antony. 

[tobi0040]

I'm not even sure that would be enough for Antony. 

 

The last time the Twins had an external manager was 1985 (Ray Miller).  That last time the Twins went outside for a GM was 1985 (Macphail).

 

Now I understand that we have only had two GM's and coaches since then so it is a tad misleading, but I also don't think is a 100% lock that the most likely internal candidate does not get the job.

[boomerb5]

The Indians have won since 1991. 

 

You do wonder how long the Twins are going to ride the "6 division titles in 9 years" line. Cherry picking. Are we supposed to forget the 4+ years of utter futility on either end of that stretch?

 

Or the single playoff series victory in that 6-year span? 

[drjim]

The last time the Twins had an external manager was 1985 (Ray Miller).  That last time the Twins went outside for a GM was 1985 (Macphail).

 

Now I understand that we have only had two GM's and coaches since then so it is a tad misleading, but I also don't think is a 100% lock that the most likely internal candidate does not get the job.

 

99.9% lock.

[Squirrel]

99.9% lock.

I'll take the under on that.

[drjim]

I'll take the under on that.

 

Fair enough. But if they hire Antony they would officially be the dumbest organization in professional sports.*

 

*Though I want to leave myself with one extremely unlikely out - if they rapidly improve next year and sustain a high level of success (as in multiple ALCS/WS appearances) for multiple seasons and Ryan then decides to step down.