What Questions Do You Want Answered at Derek Shelton's Introductory Press Conference?

[Lou Hennessy]

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Twins will officially welcome Derek Shelton back into the organization as the team's new manager with a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at Target Field. Members of the credentialed media will file in and hear about his selection, and the new skipper (plus club president Derek Falvey and general manager Jeremy Zoll) will take questions from the press. 

The veteran corps of beat writers and members of the media will surely have plenty of their own inquiries, but we want to know what YOU, the fans, would like to ask, if you were given the opportunity. Let us hear your questions in the comment section. In the meantime, here are some good topics that we'll use as starting points. 

The Interview Process
Fans will surely want to know why Shelton was the right pick, and how he stood out over the other candidates. There was a mix of old friends who have already been on the coaching staff—such as Shelton and former hitting coach James Rowson—as well as other familiar faces from their days as players, such as Nick Punto and Torii Hunter. Nelson Cruz and Ehire Adrianza were also speculated to be intriguing options in fan circles, but like Hunter, neither were confirmed as actual candidates for the job.

What did the interview process look like? When did the list of interviewees materialize? How big a factor was the swimsuit competition? Okay, we're just kidding with that last one, but clearly, fans will want to know more about the search and the interview process as a whole. 

Shelton's Fit
Many are assuming that the club's familiarity with their former bench coach played a vital role in his selection. Shelton appeared to be beloved by the organization when he was with the team in 2019, and his friendly connection to former manager Rocco Baldelli has many fans wondering if his hire will mark a continuation of the same philosophies as those of his predecessor. 

What is it about Shelton's experience and perspective that makes him the right manager for this moment in Twins baseball? What do they see as his strengths as a leader, and why didn't those strengths translate into more wins with the Pittsburgh Pirates under his watch? 

The Rest of the Coaching Staff
There are bound to be questions about the coaching staff that will surround Shelton upon his hire. The last time they hired a new manager, they surrounded him with many first-time coaches at the big-league level, and enjoyed immediate success. 

Are they going to do the same with Shelton's staff? Who will have the ultimate say when it comes to determining the other members on the bench? Will the Twins look to hold on to anyone from Baldelli's coaching staff? Will they look at other faces within the organization (whether that's in the front office or in the minor-league ranks) to make the transition to the MLB coaching staff? 

Investment From Ownership and the Front Office
We can safely assume that it'll be difficult to get answers on this topic, but that doesn't mean the questions shouldn't be asked. After the significant payroll slashing over the last two years, fans want some indication of the direction the club will take over the months ahead. 

What are the Twins expecting the payroll to look like in 2026? How will Shelton's performance be evaluated within the context of this investment? Will players like Byron Buxton, Pablo López and Joe Ryan be at the core of their plans, or on the way out the door?

Like we said, this is just a starting point. It's inspiration for some of the other questions that we'll want answered at this introductory press conference—whether they offer a suitable answer or not.

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With that said, what do YOU want us to ask? Let us know in the comment section, and as always, stay sweet.

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[DJL44]

I want to know if Pete Maki is staying. He has actually been able to transition the young talent to the major leagues and I'd like him to stay.

[farmerguychris]

I also want to know more about his assistant coaches.  Who will have the final say on who the assistant coaches will be.  Shelton, or the Front Office?  I have trouble with the Front Office holding Shelton accountable for hires he did not make if that ends up going poorly.

[dberthia]

I don't expect any of these to be asked or answered truthfully:

• How much is Falvey going to dictate the day to day decision making?
• What are you going to do differently to get more out of the once-promising young guys?
• Why should we expect any different results here than you had in Pittsburgh?

[Nshore]

After the dysfunctional situation in Pittsburgh in which he was not given the tools to succeed and from which he was eventually fired, why on earth would he apply for what is virtually the same toxic job in Minnesota?

[LewFordLives]

What is he going to do to hold players accountable for sloppy fielding and base running?

[ashbury]

There are questions I'd try to ask him in a relaxed private setting, and then there's the ones that aren't a waste of time in a public forum.  Anything that smacks of throwing certain players under the bus, even by omission in talking about others, will be answered in ways that are not useful. "Which players do you most look forward to working with?" would be an example.  Ditto for disparagement of his predecessor, and certainly of the present FO top to bottom (or his prior employer for that matter). And he's not going to divulge whatever secret sauce he may feel he has for running a cohesive clubhouse.

Still, gotta try to glean something useful from the new guy. How about:

• Compared to other managers, what do you delegate, and where are you most hands-on?
• What's the biggest change fans will notice about the team, apart from W/L you hope for?
• What are your thoughts on batter platooning, and conversely L/R matchups for your pitchers?
• What's the most important thing you learned as a manager the first time around?

I dunno, maybe I'll think of some others.

 

[Doctor Gast]

What I expect from this press conference is the same as always, a bunch of Falvey-orchestrated BS. A lot of talk with nothing said & nothing you can bet on. 

[DJL44]

26 minutes ago, dberthia said:

• What are you going to do differently to get more out of the once-promising young guys?

or

How do you fix Royce Lewis?

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Will your players bunt in order to advance runners? What will be your emphasis on bunting in spring training? Will your players frequently be asked to hit behind the runners, in order to advance the runners? What are you looking for in a leadoff batter? Who will call the pitches on your team? Who will be your infield defensive positioning leader...a player or a bench coach? What  criteria are you looking for in a hitting coach? In a pitching coach?  In a first base coach? In a third base coach? What do you do for exercise during the season? Who have been your mentors ? (This is  a tricky question.) What do you see as your role in when to promote and demote players? Who are some examples of leaders whom you admire and why? What qualities  does a good leader posses?  What do you have to say about UCLA coach, Red Sanders, quote that "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" ( Lombardi was not the originator of that quote.),

[ashbury]

3 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

or

How do you fix Royce Lewis?

Royce Lewis the Manager might answer such a question because he has no filter.  Derek Shelton will not.  🙃

[Hrbowski]

How do you envision using relief pitchers over the course of a season while maintaining their (relative) freshness for the end of the season? I.e., will you be routinely using relievers three days in a row, for multiple innings, or having them throw in 70+ games a year? How often will you use the same reliever to face the same hitter multiple times in a series?

Will you consider using "swing profile" platoons in addition to the traditional righty/lefty platoons? For example, a hitter who is a good low ball hitter might sit the day they face a starting pitcher with high spin rate efficiency on his four-seam fastball, but would start vs a sinker/slider heavy starting pitcher? What strategies in general will be used to get deeper into the other team's bullpen?

How will you improve the team defensively beyond just a focus on the fundamentals? Will there be increased use of different defensive alignments based off the count the batter is in?

How will you maintain keeping your bench players fresh while also maintaining cohesion in the lineup?

 

[D.C Twins]

Why should I care?

[Craig Arko]

Something he can give ‘42’ as the answer to.

[Cory Engelhardt]

1) How soon do they intend to fill out and complete the coaching staff?

2) How would he describe his coaching style?

3) What type of team does he envision the 2026 team to play like on offense? On defense?

4) Favorite bottle of bourbon or scotch that generally retails under $40. How about favorite that retails over $100. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

16 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

Something he can give ‘42’ as the answer to.

Hopefully not 6-7

[thelanges5]

What’s up with Joe and Pablo? What’s the payroll gonna be?

[Blyleven2011]

Are you going to address better fundamentals from the players  , are we going to be a more exciting team playing the game ...

 

What kind of line up , will it be consistent or will the players have some stability in knowing where in the lineup they will will bat in a day to day basis 

[Galen]

Why on earth did you take this job?

[Vanimal46]

How many years do we get the pleasure of seeing you manage the Twins?

[sweetmusicviola16]

Derek, do you give a **** at all about the fans that have supported this team for entire lifetimes? Can I get an honest answer out of you for once?

[Blyleven2011]

15 minutes ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Derek, do you give a **** at all about the fans that have supported this team for entire lifetimes? Can I get an honest answer out of you for once?

You need to ask his wife if she ever gets a straight answer from him ... 🤣

[TNtwins85]

*What were you told about the direction of this team and this franchise going forward and what questions did you ask about the direction of this team and franchise going forward? Honestly. Cause all Twins fans would love to know.

[tony&rodney]

Will Shelton use DH's in the DH position?

[sweetmusicviola16]

6 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

You need to ask his wife if she ever gets a straight answer from him ... 🤣

Mrs. Derek Falvey, "you should no better than to believe that lying sack of ****. LOL" "But he's a nice guy." 

[Blyleven2011]

1 minute ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Mrs. Derek Falvey, "you should no better than to believe that lying sack of ****. LOL" "But he's a nice guy." 

Lying sack's of $@@T are not nice guys .... 

[IndianaTwin]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

There are questions I'd try to ask him in a relaxed private setting, and then there's the ones that aren't a waste of time in a public forum.  Anything that smacks of throwing certain players under the bus, even by omission in talking about others, will be answered in ways that are not useful. "Which players do you most look forward to working with?" would be an example.  Ditto for disparagement of his predecessor, and certainly of the present FO top to bottom (or his prior employer for that matter). And he's not going to divulge whatever secret sauce he may feel he has for running a cohesive clubhouse.

Still, gotta try to glean something useful from the new guy. How about:

• Compared to other managers, what do you delegate, and where are you most hands-on?
• What's the biggest change fans will notice about the team, apart from W/L you hope for?
• What are your thoughts on batter platooning, and conversely L/R matchups for your pitchers?
• What's the most important thing you learned as a manager the first time around?

I dunno, maybe I'll think of some others.

 

You must work in HR!

[sweetmusicviola16]

1 minute ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Lying sack's of $@@T are not nice guys .... 

That was one of my Mom's favorite expressions when she was at the bar with the gang back in the day.

[ashbury]

21 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

You must work in HR!

Heh. I'll take it as the compliment you surely intended.  😄  There are plenty of others here who have worked in an office/team environment too.  Shelton's got the job but he still needs to sell himself to a new audience.  Gotta ask questions you'll get an answer to, and not use the opportunity to simply vent.

[rickyp]

2 hours ago, dberthia said:

 

• Why should we expect any different results here than you had in Pittsburgh?

And why should we expect any different results under you than Rocco had last year with this team