Please fire the entire coaching staff, except Pete Maki!!

[thrillema25]

It’s hard to watch this team play the last few weeks!! What is with all the strikeouts? Why are we not aggressive on the base paths? Why do the hitters not protect the plate with 2 strikes? What the hell is going on? It’s been pretty much the same story ever since Baldelli took over!! 

[lecroy24fan]

I disagree. Pete Maki does not deserve to be fired.

[thrillema25]

Based on the pitching this year, I can agree with you on this. Title has been changed :)

[dxpavelka]

Firing folks tends to lead to hiring folks whose firing will soon be called for.  Look it up.

[FlyingFinn]

23 minutes ago, lecroy24fan said:

I disagree. Pete Maki does not deserve to be fired.

Agreed. I will give Tommy Watkins some credit for much improved judgment on when to send and not send runners home from third base. At least that is my impression when listening.

[wabene]

19 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

Firing folks tends to lead to hiring folks whose firing will soon be called for.  Look it up.

I think the record keeper was fired

[Riverbrian]

A long time ago... when I was 16. I had a part time job at a restaurant as a bus boy.

I had spilled some water while busing a table.  I did clean the water up but I didn't notice that water had spilled on to the seat. 

Unfortunately someone sat in the wet spot. 

Someone from that table demanded that I be fired. Loudly, in the middle of the restaurant in front of everyone. 

That person had never met me. 

As a 16 year old... I remember thinking that we should at least meet before such demands. 

 

[thrillema25]

2 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Firing folks tends to lead to hiring folks whose firing will soon be called for.  Look it up.

Yup, so lets settle for mediocrity for another 10 years just so we don’t have to get fed up with another group of coaches that just might be the next TK. 

[BiggestRoccoFan]

I have been saying for 3 years that Rocco needs to go and I am running out of patience watching this brand of baseball. Royce goes 4-4 last night and sits today??????????????????????????????????????????????

[Squirrel]

3 minutes ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

I have been saying for 3 years that Rocco needs to go and I am running out of patience watching this brand of baseball. Royce goes 4-4 last night and sits today??????????????????????????????????????????????

And we won 9-3? Something worked today despite that.

[BiggestRoccoFan]

All that worked is they brought in a reliever that was awful today.

[Blyleven2011]

Has anyone noticed that the Texas rangers have turned it around this year ,,, last year with that talent they failed and fired the manager and I'm sure some coaches to ....

 

For the 2023 season they hired a seasoned veteran manager of 3 world series wins ...

Bochy has a baseball mentality  and has his superstars winning  ...

I'm all for a new voice and a new change  , I want good competitive baseball and we are not getting it done , the players would have to have career years like 2019 in order to achieve success  , the FO  , manager and coaches are not inspiring the fans with their plan and the plan might not be inspiring to the players either  ... 

It's really  a total system failure and the pohlads need to come out and say this with all the payroll increases they have been given , Ryan gave us better competitive savvy baseball  than this current regime and has restraints on the payroll  ...

 

[Craig Arko]

I won’t settle for anything less than contraction. 

[wabene]

Total System Failure. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? That is why they make the big bucks. 

[Squirrel]

1 hour ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

All that worked is they brought in a reliever that was awful today.

And the bats, finally, took advantage of it. That isn't always the case. Not saying that this is a turn-around, but I don't think today's game is one to tout as an example of all that is bad. Can't say that for all the games. Just saying, today's game isn't a good example of any of that, imo.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

2 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Has anyone noticed that the Texas rangers have turned it around this year ,,, last year with that talent they failed and fired the manager and I'm sure some coaches to ....

 

For the 2023 season they hired a seasoned veteran manager of 3 world series wins ...

Bochy has a baseball mentality  and has his superstars winning  ...

I'm all for a new voice and a new change  , I want good competitive baseball and we are not getting it done , the players would have to have career years like 2019 in order to achieve success  , the FO  , manager and coaches are not inspiring the fans with their plan and the plan might not be inspiring to the players either  ... 

It's really  a total system failure and the pohlads need to come out and say this with all the payroll increases they have been given , Ryan gave us better competitive savvy baseball  than this current regime and has restraints on the payroll  ...

 

Did he?

Ryan’s career w% was 47% and went to the post season 4 times in 18 years.

Falvine’s career w% is 52% and went to the post season 3 of 6 years.

I don’t love Rocco, I don’t hate him either. If he were to get fired he’d be replaced by another Rocco by a different name.

While I am very frustrated with this team, Baldelli and Falvine have been very successful relative to the Twins post mid-90s collapse. They do deserve a bit of leash, at least through the season.

 

[Tlaker]

5 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Firing folks tends to lead to hiring folks whose firing will soon be called for.  Look it up.

What? Have you ever hired anyone that was a complete misfit for the job? So just let them keep going and ruin your organization?  This is just a silly statement….

[Tlaker]

2 hours ago, Squirrel said:

And we won 9-3? Something worked today despite that.

One game after two years of complete mediocre play…? Wake up, Rocco may be a nice guy and a players manager, he is never going to win, and especially with this front office.

[Squirrel]

8 minutes ago, Tlaker said:

One game after two years of complete mediocre play…? Wake up, Rocco may be a nice guy and a players manager, he is never going to win, and especially with this front office.

Context, my man ... I was responding to a post complaining about today's game. If you read my other post, I think it's clear where I stand and what the meaning of that post was.

And, for the record, I'm perfectly awake. tyvm. 🙂

[Fat Calvin]

Maybe it's the curse of Calvin's ghost?   Unless we bring the statue back, we're doomed!

 

[dxpavelka]

4 hours ago, thrillema25 said:

Yup, so lets settle for mediocrity for another 10 years just so we don’t have to get fed up with another group of coaches that just might be the next TK. 

the grass isn't always greener....

[dxpavelka]

1 hour ago, Tlaker said:

What? Have you ever hired anyone that was a complete misfit for the job? So just let them keep going and ruin your organization?  This is just a silly statement….

If I hired someone who wasn't a fit for the job the first place I looked was in the mirror.  So the guy who was manager of the year three years ago is a complete misfit for the job?  Perhaps the issue lies with the players on the field.

 

[Nine of twelve]

I've said this before, but the most recent time was probably before the OP joined the site so I'll say it again. Firing someone just for the sake of doing so hardly ever does any good. Firing someone is easy. What is more difficult and much more important is to hire someone who will do the job better. And this is especially true if you need to replace an entire coaching staff. You'd better have replacements lined up and ready to go if you're going to take action that drastic. Got any names in mind?

[wabene]

Interesting that the man who wasn't fit for the job last year, the bashful Mr Maki, is riding this group of starters into the stratosphere of pitching coach super stardom, lol. 

My impression is Maki, while lacking his predecessor's big personality and salesmanship, is quite sharp behind the scenes. That being said it is always the players that make or break their coach's reputations. 

[dxpavelka]

Biggest issue is that this team plays with no heart.  EVERY decision is based on advanced analytics.  A wise man once said that advanced analytics is an excellent means of predicting the past.  Analytics has a measurement for everything.  Except for things that can't be measured.  Heart.  What does a guy do when nobody else is doing anything.   ‘Jump on my back. I’m driving the bus tonight.’ Infamous Kirby Puckett quote.  Nobody on this team is driving the bus.  Started when they moved on from Eddie Rosario.  A guy who didn't have great measureables.  But he did things nobody else did.  He took a pitch 8 inches off the plate and drilled it for extra bases at a moment when nobody else was hitting.  Can that be measured?  Sure.  And probably quantified as a negative. Should I bring up the fact that the guys (admins won't let me use the word(s) I want to use) playing his position this year have the worst OPS in the big leagues?   Continued when they traded Nelson Cruz.  Heart and soul of the team.  Give them a pass on that one cuz they got Joe Ryan.  Won't even mention multiple opportunities to bring Cruz back.  Traded Berrios.  OK, great.  Got studs in return. (note sarcasm) Of course, a year later we found ourselves in need of a Berrios caliber pitcher and traded for Mahle.  Of course when HE failed to bring the expected return we again found ourselves in need of more pitching and traded a guy who won some big American League batting award thingy for another pitcher. 

NOW I'm about to cross into heretofore uncharted territory and ask one simple question:  What has our lineup done to exhibit heart in the year since Miguel Sano's name stopped being written on the lineup card?  Great hitter?  Not really.  Guy who makes everybody in the stadium and within earshot of a television stop and take notice when he's hitting?  Absolutely.  Guy who can wake up a line up and a crowd by hitting a ball to St. Paul.  Yep. 

Is the manager and / or coaching staff an issue.?  Maybe.  But at the end of the day the game is won or lost by the guys on the field.  Do we have the right guys?  Maybe.  Do we have the right kind of guys.  Maybe not.

[JD-TWINS]

15 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

A long time ago... when I was 16. I had a part time job at a restaurant as a bus boy.

I had spilled some water while busing a table.  I did clean the water up but I didn't notice that water had spilled on to the seat. 

Unfortunately someone sat in the wet spot. 

Someone from that table demanded that I be fired. Loudly, in the middle of the restaurant in front of everyone. 

That person had never met me. 

As a 16 year old... I remember thinking that we should at least meet before such demands. 

 

Generally, a fine thought!

You weren’t in the entertainment industry, the public eye, nor making $300K plus (my assumption). That said, don’t think the firing of coaches is going to solve anything.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

A few years back we had a hitting coach who seemingly propelled the Twins hitters into breaking the all-time home run record.  He was poached away for a better gig and since then has experienced. . . drum roll please. . . pretty much zero success.  Last year we had a pitching coach who took over partway through the season, was absolutely awful, and obviously didn't know what he was doing.  Since then. . . another drum roll please. . . he's the greatest thing to happen to pitching in the history of mankind. 

It still comes back to the players.  They are professionals.  They need to get the job done.  They are being paid serious $$$ and have plenty of motivation.  They are not getting the job done.  Period.  Can coaches and managers make an impact?  Sure, maybe a little and at the margins, but it still comes down to players executing in the game.  The coaches and managers get way too much credit and way too much blame.

[Riverbrian]

16 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Generally, a fine thought!

You weren’t in the entertainment industry, the public eye, nor making $300K plus (my assumption). That said, don’t think the firing of coaches is going to solve anything.

That is correct... I was none of those things. Not quite $300K maybe $3.50 an hour but I did manage to save $1,000 to buy with a shiny red 77 Bonneville with the odometer turned over. Not bad for a teenager although obviously bought with blood money because someone had to endure a wet seat.

I was able to purchase this car because my manager didn't fire me. I showed up on time, I didn't call in sick and I cleared the tables.  

The guy who was demanding my head while saying he would never come back to this restaurant again unless I was fired... had no idea who I was or if I had cleared hundreds of tables without incident. 

 

 

 

 

 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, dxpavelka said:

A wise man once said that advanced analytics is an excellent means of predicting the past. 

There are a ton of successful leaders in all kinds of business ventures who will attest otherwise.  Looking backward is the elementary part of analytics.

[chpettit19]

While I'm on board with moving on from the management team, I just don't get this obsession with firing coaches like it's going to suddenly make players better. As @Rod Carews Birthday pointed out, people were calling Maki incompetent, and spent much of the offseason calling for his head, when he was in charge of a rotation with Archer, Bundy, Sanchez, and a whole bunch of other AAA/AAAA players in it and they were doing poorly. Now he has a rotation full of legitimate MLB pitchers and they're doing well so he's clearly a genius. 

Rowson is brought up at least weekly around here because he was the hitting coach in 2019. He obviously would be able to fix this less talented lineup despite the fact that his offenses in Miami were less talented, and terrible at scoring runs, and his current team (Detroit) is less talented, and last place in MLB in runs scored this year. The great James Rowson has his offense being outscored by an Oakland team attempting to set the all time loss record. I don't get how people think coaching turns bad players into good ones. It doesn't.

This offense struggling shouldn't be a shock. Many, many, many of us spent all offseason saying they didn't have enough hitting. Correa being terrible is surprising. Buxton being streaky isn't. Polo being hurt hasn't helped, but that's not coaching. Jeffers has been better than expected. Kirilloff is doing his thing. Lewis is hit and miss as he gets rolling again. But are we really surprised Gallo is striking out a bunch with a low BA, and high HRs? Are we surprised Kepler is a bad hitter? MAT, Vazquez, Larnach, Solano, Garlick, or Castro doing things that nobody was expecting? This is a severely flawed offense missing true impact bats. What do we think firing coaches is going to do to fix that?

Now I'm not defending anybody, or suggesting this is some top shelf coaching staff. I don't really know. Just saying that this idea that coaches are some sort of magicians who turn bad players into good ones is nonsense. This isn't a talented lineup, and new coaches won't make it one. I don't love the extreme platoon decisions (in fact, I hate them), or the "get your A swing off every time" approach they appear to have at the plate (that doesn't mean they're all trying to hit homeruns every pitch, though), and I'm not going to shed a tear for anyone who's fired, but, if you came into this year expecting (note: I said expecting, not hoping for) some sort of offensive juggernaut, it's your expectations that are the problem, not the coaching. This is a team lacking offensive skill, and it was easy to see in the offseason. These struggles aren't coaching, they're talent.