I'm Drinking the Twins' Kool-Aid

[Adam Neisen]

Here’s why you should, too.

Image courtesy of © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

After 18 straight postseason losses and two consecutive disappointing seasons, fanbases would usually be down. Not I. The team and everything surrounding it feels fresh.

My excitement is primarily due to the front office's demonstrated desire to win. They signed Carlos Correa to a record deal, disproving the "cheap Pohlads" term. I loved the bold move of trading fan favorite Luis Arraez to acquire Pablo Lopez, which showed that they are willing to take risks to win more games. Along with those significant moves, they acquired multiple pieces that provide upside or depth that I believe should guarantee a competitive team on the field. 

Off the field, the Twins have taken several steps to build hype and engagement with the team - the most visible of which is the reveal of a whole new set of uniforms. The new jerseys came with the slogan "inspired by the past; built for the future," and I thought they did just that. They combined elements from the Killebrew era and the Hunter/Mauer era, bringing in a new, unique flair that I felt had been missing. This mix of past and future allowed the jerseys to resonate with all ages of Twins fans.

The Twins didn't just unveil the new uniforms; they hosted an event in the rotunda of Mall of America and brought in their star players to show off the jerseys for the first time. I was at this event and witnessed firsthand how successful it was, as it brought in a large crowd and got people talking about the Twins, even in the dead of the off-season. 

In an effort to continue to improve TwinsFest, they added a new event called TwinsFest live. The event got great reviews as it was much more personable than other TwinsFest experiences, featuring player bartenders and other opportunities for fans to meet with the team. I hope they continue this event for years to come. 

The Twins have also worked to improve their online presence ahead of the season. I felt their old graphic designs for social media posts were unprofessional, so I was glad to see the Twins changed them to be simpler and modern and fit better with the new uniforms. On TikTok, they began posting daily videos asking Twins players fun questions. As a younger fan, I appreciate seeing the Twins engaging with and building a newer audience. 

They also added a new YouTube series called The Diamond, giving viewers a more in-depth, behind-the-scenes look. I enjoy this type of content as it shows off the Twins' star players and makes the team easier to cheer for. 

This offseason, the Twins worked to improve on multiple fronts, whether it was the on-field product, the merchandise, the offseason events, or social media content. The result is an entirely new, fresh look for the Twins and more excitement for the upcoming season than most prior years. Now I can't wait to see the on-field performance match this excitement and provide a memorable season for all Twins fans.

 

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[Karbo]

I hate the new Logo on the caps. Uniforms are OK, but I don't see how they will help the team in any way. For me it comes down to the actual product, the players and the way they perform.

[Bodie]

24 minutes ago, Karbo said:

I hate the new Logo on the caps. Uniforms are OK, but I don't see how they will help the team in any way. For me it comes down to the actual product, the players and the way they perform.

Every time I've seen the Twins home uniforms I instantly think they must  be playing the Orioles.  That is NOT a compliment!!!

Add in what looks like a Marlins cap and I just shake my head...

[gunnarthor]

I don't think you're right but I hope you are. It would be nice to see a playoff team (or at least a team with a winning record).

[Bodie]

Tik Tok?!?!  Would never go there. Maybe I am getting old...

As far as an improved "social media" presence goes, big deal. Pictures and videos of s#&t with a Twins logo are still just images of $hi!.  I have feedlots and hog confinement buildings all around my home full of just that, except I can put that on my fields and improve yields.  The Twins manure can't even do that!

Give me a competitive team and you can keep your tiktok dumpster 🔥 !!!

That said, I'm glad you are psyched for the season Adam and hope to see you at Target  Field!!!

(Old man rant over)

Edited March 18 by Richie the Rally Goat

[mikelink45]

The question is that baseball is a marathon and not a Sprint. Spring training is a time for optimism and it's nice that you come out with this strong feeling, but Kool-Aid is not on my beverage list. I'm content to watch and wait. Last year the first half season was good, the ending was not. I suggest a good glass of bourbon and just enjoy whatever happens without setting yourself up for possible disappointment

[Rhino and Compass]

I am a Purdue basketball and Twins baseball fan, and no longer have the capacity for optimism, and will consider this season a good one if it is not raining at most of the games I try to go to. 

[TCSquad]

I like to believe that history repeats itself; and the last time the Twins had a complete relaunch of their logos and uniforms was in the offseason before 1987... There was no social media then, but I'm sure there were many, many fans who were more upset at the Twins 16 year-playoff drought at that time than the new M logo at the time replacing the "TC" that the Twins had worn for a quarter-of-a-century at that time.

Pass us the Kool-Aid, too. We've been sipping, but with Opening Day less than two weeks away, let's go ahead and chug now.

[weitz41]

I'm optimistic about the season ahead. I like the new uniforms and like others don't care for the caps. Most of the moves this offseason I am happy about. I don't like the lack of roster space for the slew of young players blocked but that will likely sort itself out.

MAYBE the new uni's will help break the playoff curse! 

[Doctor Gast]

I'm excited about the transactions that have done this off season. And I like the slogan of "inspired by the past; built for the future,". We've never had a successful post season w/o the pinstripes. I'm not crazy about the uniforms but I don't care as long as they include pinstripes. Because you can't have a winning attitude & tradition w/o them, the others are a waste of time & $. They need to focus more on our winning past to establish a foundation of our future winning. Many young people have no ideas what a winning post season looks like.

 Living in Brazil, I don't go to many games anymore. The last game I went to was in '21, I was very disappointed. Not only that we lost to DET but also the people around me were disconnected to the game. The young people spent all their time on their cellphones. So I think Tik Tok does very little in sparking interest in the game (although it might support what's there.) 

Baseball is a family sport. I came to love baseball by watching the Twins with my Dad. Baseball tournaments were family events. I believe that's how many of us got involved.  If you want to spark interest in the Twins with the young people you need to promote Family night, Big Brothers events and make watching Twins more assessible on TV. IMO the disinterest in baseball is due to the family break down that & less accessibility

To many Americans the WBC is nothing. But to many Latin American & Oriental teams, they go crazy over these games. They aren't concerned about their cellphone when they're at the games. They are totally in the game, and it's refreshing to see.

[Dave The Dastardly]

2 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

The question is that baseball is a marathon and not a Sprint. Spring training is a time for optimism and it's nice that you come out with this strong feeling, but Kool-Aid is not on my beverage list. I'm content to watch and wait. Last year the first half season was good, the ending was not. I suggest a good glass of bourbon and just enjoy whatever happens without setting yourself up for possible disappointment

Jameson has got me through many a Twins season though my brothers and I sampled some Jim Beam Red Stag during the recent Viking playoff debacle... found it to be an excellent anti-depressant.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Yes, it's the time of year for optimism. I agree the franchise needed a brand refresh and they did a good job of threading the needle between old school and new school. The playoffs are a reasonable goal for this club. I have 20 home games on my personal schedule and can't wait to spend the time at Target Field. Life is good.  

[CRF]

I'm not taking a sip of any kool-aid until I see how the first 40-50 games go. I also want to see if Rocco has learned anything. Then, we'll see. If injuries don't blow us out of the water again, we should know something by then. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It’s Spring! Mitts are popping’, everyone is in the best shape of their life! World Series or Bust!

[Rod Carews Birthday]

This was a great kick off the season article.  Sometimes we as fans let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  If after thinking this offseason through, you can't come up for any reason for optimism, then you are very difficult to please.  Did they do EVERYTHING I wanted them to do?  Of course not, but they have made some solid decisions in the past 12 months that make me believe Twins management is serious about trying to put a contender out there.  Do I think that every decision is a perfect one?  Nope, but they're working the problem instead of sitting on their hands.  Is Rocco Baldelli going to make every perfect decision this year?  I'm sure not, but he is a professional manager that is preferable to a lot of other guys out there.  (I hear Tony LaRussa is available!). 

What I think we forget as the season goes on is that (nearly) every other team out there is also trying to field a contender and sometimes certain plans work out better than others. We can all say that we want to be just like . . . .<insert team name here>, but that team doesn't always win either and may have some circumstances that prevent that.  Houston has a great team (currently, but definitely not historically), maybe the Yankees do, but we're not them.  Which other AL Central team would you like to be?  None of those seem obviously better than the Twins.  Or would you rather be the Angels?  How about the Rangers?  I like our chances to be pretty good.

I'd love the perfect but I'll certainly take some good!  Time to enjoy some baseball!

[tarheeltwinsfan]

4 hours ago, Bodie said:

Tik Tok?!?!  Wouldn't go on there. Maybe I am getting old...

As far as an improved "social media" presence goes, big deal. Pictures and videos of s#&t with a Twins logo are still just images of $hi!.  I have feedlots and hog confinement buildings all around my home full of just that, except I can put that on my fields and improve yields.  The Twins manure can't even do that!

Give me a competitive team and you can keep your tiktok dumpster 🔥 !!!

That said, I'm glad you are psyched for the season Adam and hope to see you at Target  Field!!!

(Old man rant over)

You're getting old.

[Bodie]

8 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

You're getting old.

Yeah, but it beats the alternative... 😉

[NotAboutWinning]

Well said Adam! Pour me a double!!

[h2oface]

I hope so. I have never seen a Spring Training with so little participation from the 26 man. I hope they are ready. All future and No Past. Every team is currently in first place.

 

[Schmoeman5]

The Pohldads willingness to spend big on free agency? Carlos Correa fell (back) into the Twins lap. Their initial offer was way off what the Giants and Mets were offering in terms of years and total money. I give them some credit in that their offer was always the highest yearly salary. Now I do agree that they were smart in the business sense. 12 or 13 years is nuts for any player over 21. Aren't the Mets still paying Bobby Bonilla? But they aren't opening the bank vault like the Padres or Mets or like the Rangers did last year. Nor do I believe they should. But I would like to see them acquire 1 front of the rotation guy. Didn't they give Donaldson 23 million per for 2 years? They could have got Verlander this winter. Yeah he's 40 but he signed for 2 years  and50. And I believe they would get a lot more benefit out of Verlander for those 2 years than they did out of Donaldson. To me it's spending the money in the right places. With that said, I am optimistic for 2023. Just not ready to call the Pohldads big spenders.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

15 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

The Pohldads willingness to spend big on free agency? Carlos Correa fell (back) into the Twins lap. Their initial offer was way off what the Giants and Mets were offering in terms of years and total money. I give them some credit in that their offer was always the highest yearly salary. Now I do agree that they were smart in the business sense. 12 or 13 years is nuts for any player over 21. Aren't the Mets still paying Bobby Bonilla? But they aren't opening the bank vault like the Padres or Mets or like the Rangers did last year. Nor do I believe they should. But I would like to see them acquire 1 front of the rotation guy. Didn't they give Donaldson 23 million per for 2 years? They could have got Verlander this winter. Yeah he's 40 but he signed for 2 years  and50. And I believe they would get a lot more benefit out of Verlander for those 2 years than they did out of Donaldson. To me it's spending the money in the right places. With that said, I am optimistic for 2023. Just not ready to call the Pohldads big spenders.

[chpettit19]

25 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

The Pohldads willingness to spend big on free agency? Carlos Correa fell (back) into the Twins lap. Their initial offer was way off what the Giants and Mets were offering in terms of years and total money. I give them some credit in that their offer was always the highest yearly salary. Now I do agree that they were smart in the business sense. 12 or 13 years is nuts for any player over 21. Aren't the Mets still paying Bobby Bonilla? But they aren't opening the bank vault like the Padres or Mets or like the Rangers did last year. Nor do I believe they should. But I would like to see them acquire 1 front of the rotation guy. Didn't they give Donaldson 23 million per for 2 years? They could have got Verlander this winter. Yeah he's 40 but he signed for 2 years  and50. And I believe they would get a lot more benefit out of Verlander for those 2 years than they did out of Donaldson. To me it's spending the money in the right places. With that said, I am optimistic for 2023. Just not ready to call the Pohldads big spenders.

FYI, Verlander signed a 2 year/$86.6 million deal this offseason. 

[Schmoeman5]

1 minute ago, chpettit19 said:

FYI, Verlander signed a 2 year/$86.6 million deal this offseason. 

My mistake. I thought it was 50. That's why I used the Donaldson comparison.  86 would be a stretch for sure, but then that would show their willingness to spend. 

[chpettit19]

3 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

My mistake. I thought it was 50. That's why I used the Donaldson comparison.  86 would be a stretch for sure, but then that would show their willingness to spend. 

No worries, just wanted to give you the info. Yeah, it definitely would've showed their willingness to spend! Also would've allowed them to keep Arraez since they wouldn't have needed to trade for Lopez. I'd like to see them boost the payroll another 20 mil, but I can't be too hard on them for not giving any 1 player 40+ mil a year. Unless it's Ohtani. They should give him 50 a year and really show they'll spend!

[stringer bell]

Well, the projections and betting lines all give the Twins a winning record. They are basically slotted together with the Sox, slightly behind Cleveland. I don't think it is cockeyed optimism to expect the Twins will be in contention. 

The Twins should expect their health to be better and they have much improved depth with some players about ready to contribute. 

[USAFChief]

I hope it's cherry kool-aid you're drinking, like it should be. Or at least orange. Not any of them fake new flavors. 'Cause those ain't kool-aid.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

18 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

I hope it's cherry kool-aid you're drinking, like it should be. Or at least orange. Not any of them fake new flavors. 'Cause those ain't kool-aid.

In my house it was lime. I remember being very upset with my aunt when babysitting me used the green stained wooden spoon to make soup because I was afraid the soup would take the kool-aid stain off

[wsnydes]

8 hours ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

Jameson has got me through many a Twins season though my brothers and I sampled some Jim Beam Red Stag during the recent Viking playoff debacle... found it to be an excellent anti-depressant.

I've stocked up on Scotch.  It remains to be seen whether I have supply enough for the season or a month...

[Richie the Rally Goat]

10 hours ago, wsnydes said:

I've stocked up on Scotch.  It remains to be seen whether I have supply enough for the season or a month...

Scotch and Kool-Aid is an “interesting” combination

[rv78]

You have bought into the hype the FO is feeding the fans. New uniforms don't make a winning team. Performance does. Will we see improved hitting? Manufacturing runs? Better base running? Throwing to the correct base? Better managerial decisions? Longer starts by pitchers in the rotation? A long relief pitcher or two to take the pressure off the bullpen? Improved health? The roster is full of players with health issues and Rocco hasn't proven to me that he's learned anything from his past mistakes. I don't drink their Kool-Aid. I want to actually see it happen first.