There appears to be more bunting and insane base running in our future!

[Platoon]

Don't look now, but the wagons are circling, the fawning puff pieces are being written, and the comfort levels at One Twins (wrong) Way are slowly returning to normal. There may be a sacrificial lamb that is feeling like he is headed for that stone altar in the forest, but it's not going to be any of the "boys". I doubt that even the MiLB pitching coordinator, Eric Rasmussen, who has been here 16? years with one Ace developed feels the heat. Anyway, if you are going to Vegas, take the under on the Twins Significant Staff Changes board.

 

Here's a nice article assuring us that more sac bunts in the third inning, and running with two outs with your top power hitter at the plate await us. Of course these actions are not the managers doing, as signs are apparently too complicated to put in use. But he will have a discussion with the player in question, and the situation will be dealt with. Again!

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-manager-paul-molitor-s-cool-head-prevails-during-down-season/386156371/

[dgwills]

This article presents Molitor as a coach who has been patient with young players. Don't think I can agree with that after seeing how Arcia, Meyer, Buxton, etc. were treated earlier in the season. There was way to many games with the young players sitting on the bench. 

I haven't been impressed with the in game decisions at all either. Hopefully this piece isn't really indicative of the off-season plans.

[goulik]

Ok, don't get me wrong. I have called for a change in leadership top to bottom, and I agree with dgwills comment above but maybe this guy is learning on the fly and can develop into a great manager while his players learn the MLB game themselves. I do not think he was the right hire just as Mike Tice should not have been hired as head coach. I did see improvement from Tice in his second and third year and maybe, Molitor can do the same: learn on the job. Maybe we are starting to see that with his use of guys now vs earlier in the year.

If he is going to be sticking around, I REALLY hope to see growth from Molitor. The first change I would like to see from him is to try a line up for a few days in a row before changing it. Give people some time to adjust, you know?

[TheLeviathan]

You know what I'd like to know before I make a decision on Molitor?

 

Who decided Sano in RF?

 

Because, from radio interviews and jsut a gut feeling, he seems like he's never been on board with it.  In fact, it almost seems like he's the one pushing to end that experiment.  I think many of the problems started with Front Office, 40 man roster construction.  Molitor has compounded that issue, certainly, but I'm not sure he needs to go down with the rest of the ship.  

 

Hell, if nothing else I love hearing a manager who understands 22 year olds don't need to be trashed in the papers.  That Dozier implies clearly that Molitor has been on his case.  Those are very encouraging attributes.

[jimbo92107]

What seems odd to me is the sheer number of crappy bunt attempts I've been seeing over the past week or so. Seriously, these guys look like somebody just told them how to bunt, and they're still figuring out the basics, like meet the ball out front, impale the ball on a nail, etc. Not to mention some of the "finer" points that Smalley has mentioned, like don't try to bunt a pitch that you wouldn't ever swing at. 

 

Of course, it doesn't matter. Go ahead, whiff on bunts, make your mistakes. Eventually one supposes, the mistakes will be corrected. These are young players still learning to perform at the highest level. We have seen marked improvements in these guys. Better plate discipline, shorter swings. Pitchers are starting to look like major leaguers, if not stars. They aren't going to the playoffs, but it looks like they're going to get better. It's actually kind of fun to watch.

[Mike Sixel]

The front office doesn't call for early inning bunts...... The owner sees nothing wrong with the manager? Hmmmm. Well apparently tactics don't matter.