Article: September Tanking and the Twins

[Cody Christie]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2321-September-Tanking-and-the-Twins

[Paul Pleiss]

Tank! I've been watching the draft pick order as close, if not closer, than I've been watching the Royals and Nats fight their ways back into playoff contention. The Twins are playing young players, a AAAA roster at best, and we're seeing some of those players do well. As a fan, watching the team down the stretch, that's what I'm looking for, young guys getting a taste and doing well, getting their licks, and if that means the team loses a few more games and moves up the draft order, well that's just fine by me too.

 

Let's go Twins, and also, let's not go. #Twinning

[adjacent]

2 problems with tanking deliberately: 1) It's immoral, and betrays the purpose of the game. 2) baseball is a team game but it is also an individual game. It is not in the interest on the players to tank and ruin their statistics. Having said that, there is nothing wrong in sitting the regular, more expensive players and giving playing time to the rookies and the question marks. If they lose a couple more games for doing that, then so be it. Besides, I don't expect that this team is going to win many games against the Rays, the Tigers, the A's, anyway.

[Monkeypaws]

Luckily for you draft mavens, the Twins probably don't have to try and lose. It seems to come naturally for this bunch.

 

Rick Sutcliffe dinged the Twins on Baseball Tonight last night when they were debating how much trouble Tampa Bay was in, how they weren't scoring, and RS said he wasn't worried: "lets talk about this again after TB plays 3 against the Twins," he quipped, with laughs all around.

[abnormal_1]

I want to see the kids to see what we got. If they win with the kids I'm ok with that.

 

That means that Arcia, Pinto, Herrmann, Cololbello and such facing big league pitching like Jared Weaver are succeeding. Most of the remaining games are against teams fighting for playoffs (A's, Indians, Tigers, Rays). Sadly from pitching perspective not much to watch...maybe Albers/Hendricks/Tonkin in relief (biggest upside is Tonkin)

 

In my mind the best case scenario is the twins kids perform well and based on the utter weakness of the Twins starting pitching they valiantly snatch defeat and a top 5 draft slot

[diehardtwinsfan]

Not sure I'd call it tanking. Willingham and Doumit might give the Twins the best shot of winning any day, but playing Parmelee and Presley is more important. Might see an extra game or two in the L column, but it's better off for the team long term. That's not tanking

[MichiganTwins]

Maybe the Twins tanked in the offseason when they created this team?

[adjacent]

Maybe the Twins tanked in the offseason when they created this team?

Bingo!

[Thegrin]

Tanking is a terrible thing for an organization to do. It shows the players and the fans that they don't care about winning. This means the fans won't show and the players will give up when the going gets tough. Building a winning organization means you try your best to win every game you can. Draft picks be damned.

[AlwaysinModeration]

9/14 Reverse Standings

 

1 Houston

2 Miami. -3.5

3 White Sox. -7

4 Cubs. -12

5 Twins. -12.5

6 Brewers . -13.5

7 Seattle. -14

8 Mets. -14.5

9 Giants -15.5

10Rockies. -16.5

10 Padres. -16.5

 

Positioned pretty well for a top 7 pick, and could move up to #4.