Article: One Step Backward

[DocBauer]

FWIW, Nick, I think it's a nice thread and an accurate one.

 

Face it, no matter anyone's expectations coming in to the season, nobody expected this start. And let's be frank, it sucks. And blame can be cast wherever you like, and it's anyone's and everyone's right to do so, but the reality is that except for 3 players, the entire team is in the dumpster offensively to begin the season. It's a combined and cumulative effort that could not have been forseen, based on talent, experience and potential, as well as past results and even spring training, but it is what it is.

 

Hopefully, what it is will turn around and soon! And yes, we can blast the FO for 3 years of no backup CF plan, and 2 years of waiting on the bullpen. (Things that have, pretty much, been admitted to). But simply looking beyond initial disappointment at the moment, and the emotions that accompany yet, perspective must be kept.

 

I watched the Twins mostly struggle in the 70s with penny pinching, the promotion and subsequent eventual loss of quality players that made it. In the early 80's the Twins were very aggressive in the promotion of many young talents...perhaps too aggressive in some cases...and suffered through some aweful baseball. That was a complete and sudden rebuild. And while it ultimately paid dividends for years to come, it wasn't pretty at first. While I can, I think fairly, blast the Twins for some moves they've made, and haven't made, I can respect the idea of not capitulating to such a drastic "give in" to a sudden, complete and drastic rebuild. Right or wrong, I respect the notion at least.

 

For every Mauer and Knoblauch that comes up and just seemingly clicks from day one, history has shown us many great young players who needed that step back to make mental and physical adjustments before finding themselves. It's not an insult to baseball, or us as fans, nor necessarily a "sky is falling" scenario, when this happens. It's simply a reality of young men learning to play a complex and difficult game at the very highest level.

[adorduan]

 

I 100% guarantee that what I bolded is NOT the issue. Buxton is s a very focused young man. He''s struggling on a  number off levels right now, but focus is not one of them. Effort  is none of them.

So if it's not focus and effort, what is it?

[Platoon]

Whether you send a send a young guy down who is struggling, has more to do about his mindset, than his physical ability. If you got this far, you must have shown the ability to hit some pretty good pitching. How you mentally handle the inevitable learning curve at this next level should determine if you need or don't need more time in AAA. One thing is certain, you cannot learn to hit MLB pitching, in the minors!

[by jiminy]

I can live with multiple young guys having slow starts, and this turning out to be a developmental year. A bummer, but the future is still bright. Whether Rosario, Buxton, Sano, and Park work out their problems up here or down in the minors doesn't really matter, ultimately, as long as they do eventually. What would bother me would be if they gave the resulting at bats to Murphy instead of Arcia. If he's on the team, and there's a lineup opening, he should be playing, not some veteran stop gap. If they know they don't want him they should have cut him. If they think he has enough potential not to give up on, they should be playing him whenever they can. I have nothing against Murphy but there is no way he is part of the long term solution. If the playoffs are not in the picture, and they are just developing young guys, that should include people like Arcia and Vargas, too, not stop gap veterans. I have no problem with signing Murphy -- at this point, their entire outfield and starting DH are question marks -- as long as he's last in line after anyone with a future here.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Whether you send a send a young guy down who is struggling, has more to do about his mindset, than his physical ability. If you got this far, you must have shown the ability to hit some pretty good pitching. How you mentally handle the inevitable learning curve at this next level should determine if you need or don't need more time in AAA. One thing is certain, you cannot learn to hit MLB pitching, in the minors!

 

This is a component, but hardly the only thing.  Some guys just aren't ready and need to work on some things, and you don't want them working on said things at the major league level where they are dragging down the roster.