"Nothing Rocco could do,.."

[USAFChief]

IMO this season turned as Rocco watched Alcala turn a 4-0 lead into a 4-5 deficit on an August Sunday afternoon. 

I've been told there was nothing the manager could do about that...it all just happened too fast. 

I call BS. BS then, still BS today.

Witness: in tonight's game, Carlos Correa leads off the 6th with a HR. Miami's manager activates the pen. Has the pitching coach amble out and stall at the mound. Ambles back to the dugout. The pen WAS NOT active until the HR, as called out by Provus.

Larnach is the next Twins hitter. On the second pitch, he gets an infield single. 

Miami manager waits the extra 20 seconds between hitters...and then ambles out to make a pitching change. 

It took a total of 2 pitches to activate the pen, and get a relief pitcher in the game. 

Two. Pitches. And a little legal stalling.

Now tell me again how Baldelli sat through 7 hitters, 5 runs, including 2 HRs, a 3 minute wait while they searched for Wallner's glove, and DIDNT HAVE TIME to make a change anywhere in there.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

That one decision led to the hitters forgetting how to hit? 

[USAFChief]

4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

That one decision led to the hitters forgetting how to hit? 

How is this related to managerial decisions?

 

 

[mrcharlie]

that name Rocco.  Gives the vocal impression of a fighter.  Someone who stands his ground and sticks up for his fellow combatants.  A guy you know has your back.  Someone who instills confidence and you want to be in their corner.

Baldelli has none of that, does none of that.  I don't believe the players "play for him" anymore.

It's time.

[NotAboutWinning]

Rocco was out-managed by Skip Schumacher tonight!!! WTF!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Some of y'all need to start charging Rocco rent, given how he's living in your head.

[TwinsCD]

11 hours ago, USAFChief said:

IMO this season turned as Rocco watched Alcala turn a 4-0 lead into a 4-5 deficit on an August Sunday afternoon. 

I've been told there was nothing the manager could do about that...it all just happened too fast. 

I call BS. BS then, still BS today.

Witness: in tonight's game, Carlos Correa leads off the 6th with a HR. Miami's manager activities the pen. Has the pitching coach amble out and stall at the mound. Ambles back to the dugout. The pen WAS NOT active until the HR, as called out by Provus.

Larnach is the next Twins hitter. On the second pitch, he gets an infield single. 

Miami manager waits the extra 20 seconds between hitters...and then ambles out to make a pitching change. 

It took a total of 2 pitches to activate the pen, and get a relief pitcher in the game. 

Two. Pitches. And a little legal stalling.

Now tell me again how Baldelli sat through 7 hitters, 5 runs, including 2 HRs, a 3 minute wait while they searched for Wallner's glove, and DIDNT HAVE TIME to make a change anywhere in there.

 

 

Just one in a long line of failures by Rocco to notice when a pitcher didn't have it.  He'd then double down on this poor decision by bringing in his precious lefty Okert to protect a lead in San Diego that would go up in smoke.  Add to it the decision a couple weeks later to pull a cruising Bailey Ober in a 1-hitter thru 7 because he was at 83 pitches and was seeing the lineup a 3rd time, despite retiring the last 15 in a row.  Don't forget in the last week of the season in a must-win game, he brings in some lefty off the scrap heap to face a lefty batter who the starter could have easily taken care of with 2 out in the inning.  That lefty throws 4 uncompetitive pitches and it opens the floodgates to another debilitating loss.  That's 4 decisions right there in the last 6 weeks that essentially killed the season.  That's just with pitching.  The decisions with lineup jumbling and the mass parade of pinch hitters all because of some perceived 'advantage', including a guy who is OH FOR THIRTY this season, deserves its own chapter.

Us old schoolers will not be very easily convinced that he's not a terrible in-game manager.  Given what has happened over these last 6 weeks, it's now questionable that he's as great a clubhouse guy has he's been portrayed throughout his tenure.

[USAFChief]

3 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Some of y'all need to start charging Rocco rent, given how he's living in your head.

And some of y'all must be  embarrassed holding to the preposterous position that a MLB manager doesn't have time to prevent a reliever from caughing up a 4 run lead.

Which is just one example of ya'll shouting down anyone who dares question whether  manager can impact wins and losses.

[Mike Sixel]

10 hours ago, USAFChief said:

How is this related to managerial decisions?

 

 

The season turned when Ryan got hurt and the hitters stopped hitting. Not on one decision. Because those all had more to do to the season than one decision. They stopped scoring runs, that's a much bigger issue that needs examining than one decision.

[Vanimal46]

You just might get your wish of Rocco getting fired after this epic collapse. Then what? Can we finally shift focus to the players who have severely underperformed for 2 months? 

The micro focus on the manager every.single.day has turned this website into a cesspool. 

[USAFChief]

21 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

You just might get your wish of Rocco getting fired after this epic collapse. Then what? Can we finally shift focus to the players who have severely underperformed for 2 months? 

The micro focus on the manager every.single.day has turned this website into a cesspool. 

Focusing on the severely underperforming players failures WON'T turn this site into a "cesspool?"

This team needs a MLB manager. That seems as obvious as the sun rising tomorrow. There are personnel issues, to be sure, but without a manager none of that will ever result in good baseball.

[Craig Arko]

13 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

You just might get your wish of Rocco getting fired after this epic collapse. Then what? Can we finally shift focus to the players who have severely underperformed for 2 months? 

The micro focus on the manager every.single.day has turned this website into a cesspool. 

Needed waders here for the past 3-4 years, at least. You get used to not stepping in ****. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. 

[USAFChief]

25 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The season turned when Ryan got hurt and the hitters stopped hitting. Not on one decision. Because those all had more to do to the season than one decision. They stopped scoring runs, that's a much bigger issue that needs examining than one decision.

Are the Twins a team that plays the game well?

Executes sound baseball strategies?

Gets the most from their talent?

Forces the other team into unfavorable matchups rather than the reverse?

Plays players at defensive positions they're suited for? Give them offensive roles and try hard to keep them there?

These are all big picture managerial issues. 

And the Twins suck at all of them.

They "suddenly stopped hitting?" They were the only team to lose a starter?

And that's the story of this team?

You're missing a lot.

[Brock Beauchamp]

27 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

And some of y'all must be  embarrassed holding to the preposterous position that a MLB manager doesn't have time to prevent a reliever from caughing up a 4 run lead.

 

Which is just one example of ya'll shouting down anyone who dares question whether  manager can impact wins and losses.

Good lord man, you’re completely off the rails with Rocco. Simply because I’m not obsessed with him, you act as if I’m his biggest supporter.

And lol at “shouting down” anyone when you and your crew derail half the threads on this forum at the slightest opportunity to rip into your pet topic, Rocco Baldelli.

Literally every single aspect of this organization failed this season (except the minor league system, maybe). Yet here we are AGAIN, talking about the one guy who probably has the least control over any of it. Was Rocco bad this year? Yeah, I think so. So was EVERYBODY ELSE, except those other people actually took the field, built rosters, and decided the budget of the team.

Yet here we are again, obsessing over Rocco ****ing Baldelli. It’s unhealthy, man. 

[Mike Sixel]

23 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

You just might get your wish of Rocco getting fired after this epic collapse. Then what? Can we finally shift focus to the players who have severely underperformed for 2 months? 

The micro focus on the manager every.single.day has turned this website into a cesspool. 

I think I went to two game threads the last two months. People forget how awful it was before this FO and manager arrived. 

[USAFChief]

17 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Good lord man, you’re completely off the rails with Rocco. Simply because I’m not obsessed with him, you act as if I’m his biggest supporter.

And lol at “shouting down” anyone when you and your crew derail half the threads on this forum at the slightest opportunity to rip into your pet topic, Rocco Baldelli.

Literally every single aspect of this organization failed this season (except the minor league system, maybe). Yet here we are AGAIN, talking about the one guy who probably has the least control over any of it. Was Rocco bad this year? Yeah, I think so. So was EVERYBODY ELSE, except those other people actually took the field, built rosters, and decided the budget of the team.

Yet here we are again, obsessing over Rocco ****ing Baldelli. It’s unhealthy, man. 

Your "crew" could just admit you were wrong.

But no. 

And BTW, yeah, there's more blame to go around.

That doesn't excuse Rocco.

[Florida Flash]

I'm kind of neutral on Rocco. He absolute cannot go up and hit for the inept batters. I dont know if the hitters are told, "Hit a home run" every time they are up or if they simply trying to hit with both hands around their throat, but the "hitting" has been awful this year and it was last year. Not very much fun to watch. I hate a 1-0 game no matter who wins. Likewise I dont much care for a 2-1 game either.

[Mike Sixel]

19 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Focusing on the severely underperforming players failures WON'T turn this site into a "cesspool?"

This team needs a MLB manager. That seems as obvious as the sun rising tomorrow. There are personnel issues, to be sure, but without a manager none of that will ever result in good baseball.

Other than last year when they won a playoff series for the first time in two decades. 

[Riverbrian]

There are times when I scratch my head with Rocco. There are times when I scratch my head with the front office. There are times when I scratch my head with perceptions I may have acquired about ownership. 

There are times when posters on this site make me scratch my head. 

After all the head scratching... I've concluded that perhaps others don't think like me. 

 

[Craig Arko]

1 minute ago, Riverbrian said:

There are times when I scratch my head with Rocco. There are times when I scratch my head with the front office. There are times when I scratch my head with perceptions I may have acquired about ownership. 

There are times when posters on this site make me scratch my head. 

After all the head scratching... I've concluded that perhaps others don't think like me. 

 

Took you that long? :D

[Squirrel]

2 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

After all the head scratching... I've concluded that perhaps others don't think like me. 

I thought you were going to say, "After all the head scratching ... I'm now bald."

But the other is good, too. No two people think alike, though. We agree on some things, think alike on some things, but not other things.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, USAFChief said:

Your "crew" could just admit you were wrong.

But no. 

And BTW, yeah, there's more blame to go around.

That doesn't excuse Rocco.

I don’t think Rocco was wrong in that instance. It happened quickly and to one of the Twins only decent relievers at the time. It went as badly as it could have.

And if you think others are at fault, go ahead and create a thread about it. Except AGAIN, this thread is about Baldelli and nothing else. Except we’re not talking about those guys, only Rocco. Not even the hitting coaches. JUST ROCCO. ALWAYS.

I spent quite a bit of time this morning organizing a series of articles breaking down how every aspect of this organization failed this season. Yes, including Rocco. I don’t have a “crew” because most of the people I speak to don’t defend Rocco, they just attempt to contextualize his actual influence in comparison to ownership, the front office, and the players themselves. 

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

I thought you were going to say, "After all the head scratching ... I'm now bald."

59 Years old with a full head of hair and no receding hair lines.  

These young girls won't let me be. Poor Poor Pitiful me.  

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

Other than last year when they won a playoff series for the first time in two decades. 

Neither you nor Chief live in the Twin Cities, but the media in this town acted as if the 2023 wild card series was the first time in 65 years that any team in Major League Baseball had advanced that far in the postseason. I expect a similar round of coverage once the 2024 season is laid to rest.

As far as the game threads, I dunno, I had fun in it last night, all things considering. You get what you give, I guess. A couple of us had a running bet on whether the Marlins would make four errors again. (The OVER won!) Special shout out to nicksaviking for helping keep it fun.

Speaking of the Vikings…

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Neither you nor Chief live in the Twin Cities, but the media in this town acted as if the 2023 wild card series was the first time in 65 years that any team in Major League Baseball had advanced that far in the postseason. I expect a similar round of coverage once the 2024 season is laid to rest.

As far as the game threads, I dunno, I had fun in it last night, all things considering. You get what you give, I guess. A couple of us had a running bet on whether the Marlins would make four errors again. (The OVER won!) Special shout out to nicksaviking for helping keep it fun.

Speaking of the Vikings…

I've given up on media coverage if sports, and that's an example why. My point was simply that they had a good year last year, not that it was the greatest achievement ever. Life's a dial, not a switch.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Exhibit A and Exhibit B.

The Cleveland Guardians and the New York Mets.

Interesting how two teams that missed the post-season in 2023 suddenly remembered how to hit and pitch in 2024. I wonder why? Must have been some major changes to the respective rosters. 

Hmm...that's not it.

Oh wait. New managers!

Managers matter. 

 

[gregens]

2 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Your "crew" could just admit you were wrong.

But no. 

And BTW, yeah, there's more blame to go around.

That doesn't excuse Rocco.

Hey, It seems like I'm in your crew.  Can I be the treasurer?

[USAFChief]

21 minutes ago, gregens said:

Hey, It seems like I'm in your crew.  Can I be the treasurer?

Not much work involved in that job.

[Linus]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

59 Years old with a full head of hair and no receding hair lines.  

These young girls won't let me be. Poor Poor Pitiful me.  

Facts not in evidence 😀

[Riverbrian]

19 minutes ago, Linus said:

Facts not in evidence 😀