Help or Hurt?

[Bandit34]

Does a season like this help or hurt the Twins fan appeal? I am convinced that it actually hurts our base of support and the Twins would do well to heed this warning. If the Twins do not make a splash in getting an ace in the years ahead to put an end to this playoff ineptness I really do believe that they will be in danger of losing fans. I am convinced that this playoff record is worse than if we had not even made the playoffs. I get the sense that the front office would do well to be squirming in their seats right about now. But what is worrisome is that they may not be. They need to be. What do you guys think?

[rickybeathard]

It's pretty clear that there are a lot of mid market teams like the Twins that don't actually care about competing for a world series. They're happy to market gimmicks like "Bomba Squad" to get butts in seats during the regular season, but will never pony up the cash when it matters the most. 

[Bandit34]

 

It's pretty clear that there are a lot of mid market teams like the Twins that don't actually care about competing for a world series. They're happy to market gimmicks like "Bomba Squad" to get butts in seats during the regular season, but will never pony up the cash when it matters the most. 

If this is truly the case, then I believe that the future of Baseball could be VERY, VERY bleak. To expect people in Sioux City, Iowa to be Yankees or Dodgers fans is unrealistic. If teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Astros are the only teams constantly winning championships, Baseball has much to worry about. Baseball has survived over the years because of teams like the Big Red Machine. Middle America. If Baseball does not correct the radical imbalance, it's popularity will most certainly decline rapidly. 

[3balls2strikes]

Based on the fact that I feel like a Cleveland Browns fan, yeah, it hurts the Twins with the fans. I'd rather they didn't even make the playoffs than to embarrass themselves like this. They didn't even compete. They set records for sports playoff futility. I'm totally embarrassed and ashamed to be a Twins fan. Kirby Puckett must be rolling over in his grave. What a disaster. I'll check in next year in late September to see how they're doing. Even then I won't care and won't pay attention until they actually win a playoff game or two. 

[twins_89]

I think what the front office does this off-season will have a bigger impact on fan enthusiasm for next year. If the team makes a big splash in free agency I could easily see interest in the team going up. The interesting thing is the team has a fairly massive amount of money to spend, especially if they raise payroll to what it probably should be. Landing a few top end free agents would go a long way towards convincing fans the team is committed to winning.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Ae you literally arguing that a 90 loss season builds more enthusiasm than a 100 win season that ends in epic failure?

 

That's just... not a... smart... argument...

[Bandit34]

 

Ae you literally arguing that a 90 loss season builds more enthusiasm than a 100 win season that ends in epic failure?

 

That's just... not a... smart... argument...

Well, I was certainly a WHOLE lot more upset after this season than for most of the last decade. Baseball wasn't "watching" us when we were losing 90 games, they were definitely watching us in this series. 

[bighat]

Losing 3 games at the end of the year makes us die hard, grumpy old fans upset and angry.

 

But winning 100+ games and winning your division, setting the MLB home run record, and playing in one of the best stadiums in the league? Yeah, that outweighs the negatives. That "bomba squad" schtick? Yeah, that worked. The social universe is changing. It's not as much about results as appearance. Twitter, Instagram, #BOMBASQUAD, selfies at the ballgame, walleye on a stick. It ain't about wins and losses, it's about being able to show that you went out downtown and had a better time than your neighbors. Oh yeah, and did I mention the team was WINNING?

 

Can you imagine how many casual fans in the Twin Cities this team picked up this year? This team didn't lose any fans. Even those of us that are hurting right now will be right back here come Spring Training. Heck, we'll probably start watching the Dominican and Venezuelan Winter Leagues before that. 

 

The Twins added fans to the bandwagon this year. It was a successful season for this team in many ways and it's impossible to argue otherwise. Even with the collapse in the playoffs.

[gunnarthor]

The Twins nearly made the playoffs in 2015 and made the playoffs in 2017 and 2019. They had disaster seasons in 2016 and 2018. Without looking, I'm pretty sure I know which seasons created more fan interest going into the following seasons.

[Number3]

Only time will tell what will happen in 2020 including the roster and attendance. Unfortunately, I think that the Twins lackluster in the DS sets up a scenario whereby no matter how well they do in the regular season next year, the reaction will be "Big deal, you won 101 last year and where did it get you"? That is a burden they will have to carry all of next season.

Rocco better be careful because even the players may think, why bother?

[VATwinsFan]

 

I think what the front office does this off-season will have a bigger impact on fan enthusiasm for next year. If the team makes a big splash in free agency I could easily see interest in the team going up. The interesting thing is the team has a fairly massive amount of money to spend, especially if they raise payroll to what it probably should be. Landing a few top end free agents would go a long way towards convincing fans the team is committed to winning.

Agreed--the basic line-up will remain intact so there should still be bombas galore in 2020.  Sign Odorizzi and spend some $$$$ to get at least one front line starter.

[Craig Arko]

1986.

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Only time will tell what will happen in 2020 including the roster and attendance. Unfortunately, I think that the Twins lackluster in the DS sets up a scenario whereby no matter how well they do in the regular season next year, the reaction will be "Big deal, you won 101 last year and where did it get you"? That is a burden they will have to carry all of next season.

Rocco better be careful because even the players may think, why bother?

Attendance was certainly up this year, and I'd hazard a guess that they will sell more tickets this offseason.  Look, I'm not thrilled either about the results, but I'm still posting, and I'd add so are you. I doubt fans walk away after this season...

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

If this is truly the case, then I believe that the future of Baseball could be VERY, VERY bleak. To expect people in Sioux City, Iowa to be Yankees or Dodgers fans is unrealistic. If teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Astros are the only teams constantly winning championships, Baseball has much to worry about. Baseball has survived over the years because of teams like the Big Red Machine. Middle America. If Baseball does not correct the radical imbalance, it's popularity will most certainly decline rapidly. 

I think it's already come to this. 

 

Baseball has a serious problem with attendance and viewership decline, not to mention an increasing cost for seats. From a financial perspective, they look a lot like a stock market bubble, and when things go south, they will go south fast. 

 

There's a lot of reasons for that, and this is a big one. They've ignored the benefits of the entire sport in favor of a few large market teams, and that's going to come back to haunt them rather fast.