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Coaching Staff Changes

Vanimal46

By Vanimal46
in Minnesota Twins Talk

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jaimedude Draft Eligible

jaimedude

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Need a new 3B coach! 

I have no idea how much all this matters, but I think it does on the margins. 

At least reasign Watkins, and let somebody else coach 3rd base and outfielders. Could use a new bullpen coach too. 

Craig Arko Minnesota Twins

Craig Arko

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

I remember thinking Tom Brunansky was a great choice. Turned out, not so much.

I won’t be surprised to see somebody from the college ranks chosen.

Vanimal46 Cooperstown

Vanimal46

Old-Timey Member
Posted
  • Author
Posted
55 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Does he have any coaching experience? 

I don’t know if this is a Mandela Effect but I could have sworn he was signed by the Dodgers to be a hitting consultant for their minor leagues. Per his Wikipedia, On May 17, 2024, MLB hired Cruz as a consultant to the league. His full title was listed as 'special advisor for baseball operations,' with the intent for Cruz to serve as a liaison for MLB on topics in Latin America.

TheLeviathan MVP

TheLeviathan

Old-Timey Member
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Posted
19 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Regardless, 100% yes to bring back Nelson Cruz as either bench coach or hitting coach if he’s interested in those roles. 

Are there any limits on how many bench coaches you can have in MLB?

stringer bell Cooperstown

stringer bell

Verified Member
Posted
Posted

Coaching changes are like putting a Band-aid on a large open wound. It might cover up the worst, but it doesn’t cure or heal. 
 

The Twins didn’t have enough talent to deal with late-season injuries and ineffectiveness They finished fourth in their division and need to get better without increasing payroll, according to reports. 
 

I don’t think any new coach will be a miracle worker. 

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I don’t think any new coach will be a miracle worker. 

That's not really the bar that a new hitting coach has to clear.

Hitting coaches are pretty fungible, often with a short shelf-life even if effective at first.  Let the next guy try to get more out of a generally under-performing crew of younger hitters.  I don't usually lean toward psychological explanations for things but there might be a budding head-case or two in this group of players and perhaps another coach will do better in that regard too.  Popkins isn't a Twins lifer and will move on gracefully to another organization and probably find some success, and the game of musical coaching chairs will continue, as it always has.

This offense was pretty unacceptable during the later stages of the season and it's the hitting coach(es)'s job to help the players find answers.  If the change is just a band-aid, sometimes first-aid is called for.

Twins_Fan_in_NJ Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

Twins_Fan_in_NJ

Verified Member
Posted
Posted

I still don't know why the Twins hired Popkins in the first place. Appeared to be a likeable guy and maybe he was a good communicator with the players - helped them identify things with their swing or footing in the box or some such things - but he had ZERO experience. I just never got the sense that he was going to be able to put a plan together against a stud pitcher or help the team work its way out of a funk.

TheLeviathan MVP

TheLeviathan

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

I still don't know why the Twins hired Popkins in the first place. Appeared to be a likeable guy and maybe he was a good communicator with the players - helped them identify things with their swing or footing in the box or some such things - but he had ZERO experience. I just never got the sense that he was going to be able to put a plan together against a stud pitcher or help the team work its way out of a funk.

That's fair.  Interestingly...even with the absolute nose dive at the end....this team still finished 11th in all of MLB in OPS.

This was probably the right move, but the Twins weren't actually as bad as they were at the end.  Way too streaky though.

Parfigliano Minnesota Twins

Parfigliano

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ashbury said:

That's not really the bar that a new hitting coach has to clear.

Hitting coaches are pretty fungible, often with a short shelf-life even if effective at first.  Let the next guy try to get more out of a generally under-performing crew of younger hitters.  I don't usually lean toward psychological explanations for things but there might be a budding head-case or two in this group of players and perhaps another coach will do better in that regard too.  Popkins isn't a Twins lifer and will move on gracefully to another organization and probably find some success, and the game of musical coaching chairs will continue, as it always has.

This offense was pretty unacceptable during the later stages of the season and it's the hitting coach(es)'s job to help the players find answers.  If the change is just a band-aid, sometimes first-aid is called for.

First aid in this case being amputation 

Squirrel GOAT

Squirrel

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:


How Tommy “Windmill” Watkins survived the purge we will never know. 

Maybe give him a different role and off 3 rd base?

Twodogs FCL Twins

Twodogs

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

I still don't know why the Twins hired Popkins in the first place. Appeared to be a likeable guy and maybe he was a good communicator with the players - helped them identify things with their swing or footing in the box or some such things - but he had ZERO experience. I just never got the sense that he was going to be able to put a plan together against a stud pitcher or help the team work its way out of a funk.

I don't really think it matters who they hire as long as they are willing to go along with what the FO wants them to do.  

ashbury GOAT

ashbury

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, jaimedude said:

Someone needs to steal Rocco's computer and load it with video of Jack Morris pitching against Atlanta Braves in 1991 and put the video on loop. 

Yes, because a pitching performance that was noteworthy even in the context of the times, and was on the literal last day of the long season, is relevant to running a full pitching staff 30+ years later.

jaimedude Draft Eligible

jaimedude

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ashbury said:

Yes, because a pitching performance that was noteworthy even in the context of the times, and was on the literal last day of the long season, is relevant to running a full pitching staff 30+ years later.

It was 33 years ago, more than half a lifetime for a lot of us. What was Rocco 8 years old? This was supposed to be comical or satirical. I didn't have an issue with Rocco's use of the bullpen for the most part.  Only game I didn't like it was 09/07 with Ober. Bailey Ober was dealing, Royals were striking out and hitting weak grounder's. Hopefully Rocco learned from that game that when a starting pitcher is only a little over 80 pitches, and cruising, you let them pitch until they say they don't got it or anything left. You don't always have to use the bullpen automatically.  Slide had already started but things really seemed to click downward snd head South after that game. Twins were missing a lot of players that weekend. 8

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