"Don't Worry.........................................Be Happy"

[DocBauer]

Tell me at the end of this post you don't feel a bit better and that you don't hear Bobby McFerrin's smooth voice singing to you: "Don't worry............................be happy."

 

So your favorite baseball team is winning, is in contention for a playof spot, actually holds said playoff spot, but has been scuffling a bit as of late. You are anxiously awaiting the trade deadline for your team to make a move to create a spark, to get back in the winning path, and to make September, and hopefully October, really mean something for the first time in a while. Speculation and anticipation runs as rampant as a Byron Buxton triple or Oswaldo Arcia tracking a fly ball in the outfield. One by one you see the days and hours tick away until the deadline...(trying to ignore August waiver trades which also seem to happen because it's just not as much fun)...and team after team, player after player, and trade after trade is reported in the news. EXCEPT...not YOUR team.

 

And then, shortly before the deadline, the much anticipated move takes place. You pull up a web page with excitement and a bit of trepidation, and you glimpse a headline. Your team made a move! A trade! Someone new is coming in help rally the team and the season! Your Twins have joined the play for playoffs party!

 

Except......except....there's nothing splashy here. There's no home run. No race around the bases. No walk off single in the bottom of the 9th with two outs. No, your team has traded a solid, intriguing, but not yet top prospect who happened to be fun and your favorite Abbott & Costello character, (let's be honest, a lot of pitching prospects ahead of Hu still at this point), for someone that might actually help...at least a little...but who feels like an intentional walk from a pitcher who was already 3-0 before he got the manager's call. (Don't point, I know there was a second party involved in the deal) Nothing splashy. Nothing fun. Nothing that really feels like a difference. Honestly............you feel kind of cheated.

 

"Don't worry.........................be happy"

 

The 2011 Twins were just plain old bad luck, black magic, Murphy picked our team to root for on a bad/typical day, hoodoo voodo that nobody and nothing could undo. It wasn't even bad performance so much as nobody decent was ever healthy enough TO perform.

 

2012 was a misguided, over-sight, 20-20 says foolish and plain wrong, attempt to just get healthy, retool, and "get back out there because we still got something to work with" season. The Twins were wrong. It didn't work.

 

2013 and 2014, as I have stated previously, were attempts made by TR, the front office, and probably Gardy and his staff to some blindfolded, last cigarette degree, to put something on the field that would resemble an OK, fairly competitive, keep the merchandise and beer flowing and the turnstiles turning with false optimism while we start to rebuild behind the scenes with draft picks, trades, and amateur FA signings. Obviously, none of that worked. However, the hand of fate or the baseball gods...possibly Mother Nature or Paul Bunyan, (or their love child offspring) pissed at the removal the the trees in centerfield...decided to throw a very unfriendly and un-funny monkey wrench in to the development grinder with additional injuries to some of the ML FA brought in, but also to several prospects, including the Twins top two prospects, possibly the TOP TWO PROSPECTS in all of baseball at the time. Not saying the Twins could have or would have won in 2014, but think how much better and more fun the season might have been with Buxton, Sano, Pelfrey and Nolasco all healthy.

 

"Don't worry.......................be happy."

 

A few months ago, the pundits predicted a last place finish in the AL Central, and another losing season. The question was could they avoid losing 90 games for a 5th straight year. Optimists pointed to a few strong players, a strong milb system, and conjectured if the team might have a shot at .500 in 2015. This is also exactly what transpired here on TD in pre-regular-mean something season debates. The arguements for and against a .500 and less than a .500 season blew like Blyleven homers!

 

But to ALL of our surprise, (don't fib now), the Twins have been one of the best/top teams in all the AL for just about the entire season up to this point. They were maybe the worst team I have EVER seen the first 8 games, (still not sure how they won the one they did), and everyone panicked. Then they played great, and even had the best record in the AL briefly. Then they slumped. Everyone panicked. Then they played really good ball again, right up until the All Star break. Then they came out of the break slow and slumping. And everyone panicked again.

 

This season is fun. This season is not done. Nor are the Twins. We are still in this. If moves alone made a season, the A's would be defending World Champs. From the begining, this season was never about winning. It was about health, development, steps in the right direction, being competitive, promotions, and getting ready for 2016 and beyond. While I didn't really expect or want the Twins to get wrapped up in the golden calf of temptation and make a 9+PTBNL for 6 scenario, (believe me, the 2AM weird and wacky dream part of me actually had some logical scenarios where this could happen), the hairless Moses of the Twin Cities, Terry Ryan himself, tapped his baseball bat staff and cried out loud: "I will not let my prospects go!"

 

(Pretty sure I'll be struck by lightening at some point for that one)

 

But this season, this fun, this "still in contention" despite not making the BIG or fun move is all good.

 

"Don't worry.....................be happy"

 

The season will unfold as it will. With pre-maturity expectation that collapses, or, continued contention that leads to October with a somewhat predictable outcome all things considered. No matter what, there should be no dark cloud over the '15 season, what we have seen, what shall yet transpire, and the possible magical mystery tour that could be September.....win or lose.

 

Other than Meyer and Thorpe being out with TJ surgery, (which we all knew in the pits of our stomach was going to happen), what has gone wrong in the Twins milb system this year? Answer: not much of anything. Sure, a few relievers didn't live up to expectation. Other than that....WOW! Winning teams, top performances, promotions, development, ML debuts, etc.

 

Right now, other than the bullpen and catcher, the biggest problem you can say about our Twins is that maybe they are too young. Whaaaaaat?! No, seriously! Gibson, second season. (Real season, not a short and poor debut) May, first season. Santana and Escobar, disappointing, but still talented, still young, still with potential. Rosario, first season. Hicks, still so young, limited games, FINALLY putting it together. Buxton, made it, flashed it, got injured. Sano.....forget it....what do you say?

 

And there is a progressive, cleated march towards Minnesota, and Target Field from various points east and south. Consider a very real and very logical look at your 2016 Minnesota Twins who did NOT give in to temptation and sell the farm for the winning cow at the fair. (Is that a saying or did I just make that up?)

 

OF: Rosario, Hicks, Buxton (immediately or soon), Kepler (ditto) and hopefully/possibly Arcia as a part-time OF who will DH and PH as well. He could also be decent-solid trade material for a team needing LH power and being intrigued. Rosario and Hicks are almost a given, Buxton, healthy to finish out the season, is almost a given. Kepler, up to Rochester soon, the Twins in September, and maybe another round of fall or winter ball, should be right behind.

 

Wow! We could have a nice young mix of hitting, speed and power, (various degrees) in our OF made up of 4 current and former CF'ers.

 

INF: Mauer at 1B. Which Mauer? Jury is still out. Is it a failing, flailing, gasping Mauer? Or is it the one who has been making adjustments, playing a nice 1B, coming through in the clutch and "transitioning" in his career? I hope the latter. He will also DH on occassion. 3B is Sano and Plouffe, who will share, DH, and Plouffe will also play some 1B. Dozier is Dozier. SS will be the talented bat and athletic Polanco who just needs a little more time/experience/patience defensively as most young infielders do, or the very solid and better when playing every day Escobar, or the very talented and enigmatic Santana who could explode at any moment. I know it's not settled by any means, but there is real talent there gang! Whoever doesn't start joins Nunez, possibly Beresford, as quality depth, with someone at AAA waiting in the wings and refining his game.

 

C: The one weak spot. Suzuki makes a nice backup and possible platoon or quasi platoon option. A veteran like AJ to work with for a year until an option is found internally or externally? (Pinto with maybe one more shot providing he can keep his head from being used like a "whack-a-mole" carnival game?)

 

Rotation: Hughes, Santana, Gibson, May, Nolasco, Milone, Berrios, Duffey, Rogers. These are 6 SP with ML history and success, veteran and youngster, a tip-top prospect and a pair of solid milb prospects just behind.

 

Bullpen: Perkins. Jepsen no doubt, though I like him better, thus far, in the 7th, as I do Fien, who also probably makes it. Graham? Mixed bag this season, but he has potential, and has flashed at times. How much better could he be next season building on this one? Pressly is at least OK. Tonkin, Achter, Oliveros...will get a shot. LH? Well, you know the names, Thompson, O'Rourke, Thielbar maybe, Darnell....date I suggest it...could Duensing rebound enough to convince the Twins to bring him back yet again?

 

Clearly, catcher and the bullpen are the two area that need to be scrutinized for next season. I'm sure there will be at least one solid FA signing for the pen before next season. But at least there are options to look at, run through, audition and choose from. There is even a real chance Duffey and/or Rogers could help big time in the pen. Meyer? An enigmatic but very talented option for the rotation or bullpen who could have the light turned on to bright with a snap of the fingers.

 

Yes, there is room for some work to be done. But look at the talent and potential of that OF, INF and rotation. Consider the depth of talent here, and coming, and realize the Twins have options for promotion, trade, and FA fill ins for the pen and catcher spot. (Partially because they didn't panic and make a bunch of prospects for rental or high priced aging MLer trades at the deadline)

 

So relax. Root for our Twins. Urge them on. Enjoy the remainder of the season. Look forward to the continued development of so many youngsters. Get ready for some September games and player promotions that should be fun.

 

But mostly........

 

"Don't worry.........................be happy."

 

Told you so.