The writer asks the question: Is this the worst season in Twins history?

[ThePuck]

Zimmer: The worst season in Minnesota Twins history? | Argus Leader | argusleader.com

 

It's a good read.

[gunnarthor]

I'd vote 1999

[iastfan112]

I'd vote 1999

 

1998 was worse. At least in 1999 you had youth and future upside to look forward to, in 1998 the team was both old and bad, not an exciting combination. It was evident the Twins would be bad going forward as well.

 

It's a nice segue for why this season was so disappointing, way too many AB being given to players in career decline phases, unlikely to contribute to the next good Twins team. At best this season did nothing to advance the speed of the next good Twins team at worst it delayed it by failing to give fringy candidates every day AB.

[Guest USAFChief]

This team's lineup featured Brian Dozier in the 3 hole multiple times. It can't get much worse than that. Think about where your talent level has to be for that to happen. This was easily the least talented team in Twins history.

[Riverbrian]

Zimmer: The worst season in Minnesota Twins history? | Argus Leader | argusleader.com

 

It's a good read.

 

LOL... Saying this is a good read... Is kind of like saying "Good News for people who like Bad News".

 

As for the question... For some reason it felt worse when I was younger. 1981 Was the season that comes immediately to mind. Danny Goodwin and Mark Funderburk were just not getting it done.

 

As for 2013... Actually 2012 and 2011 feel about the same... Just kind of a numb feeling and they are without question near the top of the list of worst seasons.

[Danchat]

We might be able to say 2013 was the least talented team, but it wasn't the worst season.

Of my current memory (2002-2013) I would say 2011 was easily the worst. We had (fading) talent and we lost 99 games. That was much more crushing than this year.

[ThePuck]

We might be able to say 2013 was the least talented team, but it wasn't the worst season.

Of my current memory (2002-2013) I would say 2011 was easily the worst. We had (fading) talent and we lost 99 games. That was much more crushing than this year.

 

For me, in 2011, we had a boatload of injuries that helped us reach 99 losses...way more injuries than we had this year. On top of that, we utilized all of our resources in an attempt to field a better team. Part of what bothers me more about this year, besides it being the third futile year in a row, is that that I've seen no improvement in the overall quality of talent on the major league team from 2011 to now. In fact, IMO, it's gotten worse. On top of that, we've left resources on the table. For me, this year has been worse than 2011 or 2012...and we can't really blame injuries for this year's problems....heck even Ryan won't do that.

[big dog]

1981 for me. Absolutely nightmarish. We had Herbie for a few games, and not much else. A bunch of guys who played hard, had low ceilings or were on the down side of the career, etc. 1998 was pretty ugly as well, no question about it. I thought this season was incredibly depressing, but not anywhere in the class of those two.

1981 was also a strike year, and it came as kind of a relief. They were better in the second half (but not good).

[LaBombo]

This was easily the least talented team in Twins history.

Easily? Are you implying a lack of effort?

 

Anyway, I'm going contrarian. 2004. Yes, they won 92 games, but Mauer's knee injury and the playoff Hindenburg act ruined it for me anyway.

[Squirrel]

LOL... Saying this is a good read... Is kind of like saying "Good News for people who like Bad News".

 

As for the question... For some reason it felt worse when I was younger. 1981 Was the season that comes immediately to mind. Danny Goodwin and Mark Funderburk were just not getting it done.

 

As for 2013... Actually 2012 and 2011 feel about the same... Just kind of a numb feeling and they are without question near the top of the list of worst seasons.

 

I had no idea you were that old! And yeah ... 81 and 82 (although 82 had a lot of exciting young guys, it still did not rock my world).

[Riverbrian]

I had no idea you were that old! And yeah ... 81 and 82 (although 82 had a lot of exciting young guys, it still did not rock my world).

 

Yeah... Sadly I am... However... I mask my age very well with my behavior, common sense and intelligence.

[snepp]

However... I mask my age very well with my behavior, common sense and intelligence.

 

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x3910379/man_placing_golf_ball_on_a_tee_SMP0012854.jpg

[old nurse]

For me, in 2011, we had a boatload of injuries that helped us reach 99 losses...way more injuries than we had this year. On top of that, we utilized all of our resources in an attempt to field a better team. Part of what bothers me more about this year, besides it being the third futile year in a row, is that that I've seen no improvement in the overall quality of talent on the major league team from 2011 to now. In fact, IMO, it's gotten worse. On top of that, we've left resources on the table. For me, this year has been worse than 2011 or 2012...and we can't really blame injuries for this year's problems....heck even Ryan won't do that.

 

If that is the case you will not like 2014

Guess the baseball exec

On chasing big name free agents this offseason: “I don’t think we’re going to get to where we need to be through free agency for the short term, honestly. Given the needs that we have and where we are and the likely price tags on the market, I don’t think we’ll have the ability to add multiple impact pieces in free agency.”

Given where we’re positioned right now, it’s not something we can count on. Are we going to work our asses off and try to make it happen through free agency or through trade or through development? Yeah, but it’s not something we’re going to rely upon. We know we are not going to be able to just pick and choose what we want in free agency and wake up and be the organization we want to be.

 

“We know we’re not going to be able to pick and chose what we want in free agency,”

Give you a hint. He has 8 players under contract for 47 million and a 274 million dollar revenue stream.

 

 

If Theo Epstein is saying that about this winter's free agent group, where does that leave the Twins?

 

The last line would explain from a different source from Ryan why money wasn't spent.

[John Bonnes]

As for the question... For some reason it felt worse when I was younger. 1981 Was the season that comes immediately to mind. Danny Goodwin and Mark Funderburk were just not getting it done.

 

Yeah, I'd go back to that era too. What year did they lose Hisle and Bostock? 79? I think that would have been my favorite. After trading away Carew the year before, things just felt hopeless. And it's not like they had had any real hope of a postseason run that decade.

 

Late 90s were pretty bad. I see a lot of hand-wringing about losing 96 games as if it matters once a team gets to 90. Five years of that, along with trading away Knoblauch, Kirby's eye, and a bunch of guys who were far from highly touted prospects - that was a much darker time IMHO.

[JB_Iowa]

I don't really care which is the worst. Lived through all of the bad years given above. Survived them but also saw my interest in the Twins ebb and flow. Frankly if I was busy in my own life and if they were bad, it "ebbed" quite a bit.

 

I don't know that this year is the worst year but there is a cumulative effect -- 3 years of 96 or more losses is a little numbing but when I think about it, it's pretty much enough to make me vomit so obviously it doesn't numb me enough. The fact that I have 0 faith in any of the potential starting pitchers is another concern. The fact that there is only one really reliable hitter -- and that he just missed more than a month due to a concussion -- is another one.

 

It's pretty bad right now. Perspective always changes as History goes on but this era we're in may well top the charts (in a bad way) before all is said and done.

[Riverbrian]

Yeah, I'd go back to that era too. What year did they lose Hisle and Bostock? 79? I think that would have been my favorite. After trading away Carew the year before, things just felt hopeless. And it's not like they had had any real hope of a postseason run that decade.

 

Late 90s were pretty bad. I see a lot of hand-wringing about losing 96 games as if it matters once a team gets to 90. Five years of that, along with trading away Knoblauch, Kirby's eye, and a bunch of guys who were far from highly touted prospects - that was a much darker time IMHO.

 

Yeah... The year of Kirby's Glaucoma... That started bad and stayed bad. That one is up there for sure.

[stringer bell]

This three year stretch is certainly among the most frustrating I've witnessed and I've followed the Twins since they moved from Washington. After the surprising regular season success in every year but one between 2007 and 2010, I thought the Twins would stay competitive, especially since they were about to (and did) cash in on new stadium revenue. They won 90+ in 2010 without Morneau for half a season and for the entire season without Joe Nathan. Then luck changed, each trade seemed to fail and the farm system couldn't replace the players who left via free agency. The Twins haven't produced many good players in the past five years and they haven't developed enough starting pitching in a long, long time.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Pretty good article to get some talk going.

I do, however, wonder what Zimmer meant by:

Kyle Gibson was kept in Triple-A for too long, then stunk when called up.

 

Kyle Gibson will hopefully be a good pitcher, perhaps as soon as next year.

He was not ready for the show this year, though I'm glad he got his feet wet.

 

BTW: All the strike-shortened years were the worst!

Bad baseball is better than no baseball.

 

[jokin]

For me, in 2011, we had a boatload of injuries that helped us reach 99 losses...way more injuries than we had this year. On top of that, we utilized all of our resources in an attempt to field a better team. Part of what bothers me more about this year, besides it being the third futile year in a row, is that that I've seen no improvement in the overall quality of talent on the major league team from 2011 to now. In fact, IMO, it's gotten worse. On top of that, we've left resources on the table. For me, this year has been worse than 2011 or 2012...and we can't really blame injuries for this year's problems....heck even Ryan won't do that.

 

I would humbly beg to differ.....In the 2nd paragraph of this recent article, injuries were front and center (possibly felt more insulated talking to a national audience):

 

"On with MLB Network Radio’s Power Alley show, Ryan suggested that injuries to key players played a substantial role in the Twins’ third consecutive losing season........

 

“It’s been a difficult year in a lot of areas. We’ve had some injuries and certainly losing a few of these guys for stretches hasn’t helped, particularly a guy like Willingham,” Ryan told Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on Thursday. “And now Mauer’s down. It seems like we’ve had one big piece here missing.”

 

 

 

 

TwinsCentric: Terry Ryan discusses Ron Gardenhire's future | TwinsCentric | StarTribune.com

[ThePuck]

I would humbly beg to differ.....In the 2nd paragraph of this recent article, injuries were front and center (possibly felt more insulated talking to a national audience):

 

"On with MLB Network Radio’s Power Alley show, Ryan suggested that injuries to key players played a substantial role in the Twins’ third consecutive losing season........

 

“It’s been a difficult year in a lot of areas. We’ve had some injuries and certainly losing a few of these guys for stretches hasn’t helped, particularly a guy like Willingham,” Ryan told Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on Thursday. “And now Mauer’s down. It seems like we’ve had one big piece here missing.”

 

 

 

 

TwinsCentric: Terry Ryan discusses Ron Gardenhire's future | TwinsCentric | StarTribune.com

 

Ah, okay. I guess I gave him too much credit. I read the following from his Q&A I posted a couple days ago and thought maybe he'd avoid going there.

 

'We've got a lot of work to do, and it's not injuries anymore. We could use that a couple years ago, but not anymore."'