Mason: Exclusive Q&A with Rob Antony

[old nurse]

I don't know who the Twins are "grooming" for GM.

 

At one time I thought it was Radcliffe but I'm not sure if he is interested (can't forget about the "refusing" to let him interview for an outside GM position and have to wonder if that was just an easy way for him to take a pass). Lately it does seem more like Antony.

 

There is a real core group of Twins leadership that has been with the team for more than 20 years -- Terry Ryan since the early 80's (I think); Radcliffe & Antony since 1987; Bill Smith since 1986; St. Peter since 1990; Gardenhire & Ullger since the early 1990's; Followell since 1989. Even Deron Johnson has been in the Twins scouting structure since 1994.

 

Obviously a lot will depend on Terry Ryan's health but I have to wonder if there aren't 2 basic scenarios:

 

1. Ryan "rights the ship" and the Twins get back to a winning record no later than 2015 and one of his long-time lieutenants takes over; or

 

2. The ship is mostly dead in the water and ownership finally decides to make a major change and bring in outside talent.

 

 

I don't think it is obvious what is going to happen. I look for names that would be a bit younger than the 80's group and about the only one two I can see are Brad Steil and Jack Goin. I don't know if either of them would be a possibility.

 

 

Edit: They still have Krivsky on board as well who obviously has GM experience but that just doesn't seem as likely to me either for some reason.

 

I don't think Krivisky did that well in Cinci. As people have seen, not every assistant should move up.

[TheLeviathan]

Well, Antony actually said "probably didn't notice" and again, yours seems like a too-literal interpretation.

 

What was Antony trying to say if not "This job has a lot more to it than I thought!"? Because he then cited his total inexperience with several vital things to support that idea, that's the issue. It's hard not to take that literally when that was exactly what he was saying. "I haven't done any of these things...so this is a new perspective!"

[Otto von Ballpark]

So if Antony did not fully appreciate the full extent of TR's job until he had to do it all himself on relatively short notice, it doesn't mean he lacks ambition or hasn't been adequately "groomed" so far. That's all I meant.

[Kwak]

A question and trying to not be a smart a**. Antony started out as an intern in the PR dept. Worked his way up over a lot of years. From what I can see he has never been a scout or player evaluation guy at any time. How do you get from the PR dept. to acting GM? Shouldn't there be some scouting or some kind of player eval type work along the way?

 

Was this what happened with Bill Smith? A money guy, no scouting background, his right hand man is Antony with no scouting background, is that why things didn't turn out great?

 

There was an article published a few weeks ago (Strib) that was about Antony. I don't have a link, but it was about his "journey" through the FO. Hired as an intern, and over time promoted to Director of Marketing. It was emphasized that this is a destination position. Then, he "took an assignment" as a scout, and later participated in contract negotiation. My point: the article was likely a Twins press release about that Antony "has the qualifications" (as opposed to the "run over by the bus" Bill Smith) to be a GM. In short, yes he has experience in player personnel. How skilled Mr. Antony is in that area wasn't published/isn't known.

[TheLeviathan]

So if Antony did not fully appreciate the full extent of TR's job until he had to do it all himself on relatively short notice, it doesn't mean he lacks ambition or hasn't been adequately "groomed" so far. That's all I meant.

 

Right,but he didn't fully appreciate because he cited several keys parts to the job he hadn't been exposed to. That would be a grooming issue.

[old nurse]

There was an article published a few weeks ago (Strib) that was about Antony. I don't have a link, but it was about his "journey" through the FO. Hired as an intern, and over time promoted to Director of Marketing. It was emphasized that this is a destination position. Then, he "took an assignment" as a scout, and later participated in contract negotiation. My point: the article was likely a Twins press release about that Antony "has the qualifications" (as opposed to the "run over by the bus" Bill Smith) to be a GM. In short, yes he has experience in player personnel. How skilled Mr. Antony is in that area wasn't published/isn't known.

 

Antony once said he was involved in trades. See any old thread about trades under Smith. So the question is how much smarter is he in 2014 than in 2008-2011 under Smith.

[jokin]

There was an article published a few weeks ago (Strib) that was about Antony. I don't have a link, but it was about his "journey" through the FO. Hired as an intern, and over time promoted to Director of Marketing. It was emphasized that this is a destination position. Then, he "took an assignment" as a scout, and later participated in contract negotiation. My point: the article was likely a Twins press release about that Antony "has the qualifications" (as opposed to the "run over by the bus" Bill Smith) to be a GM. In short, yes he has experience in player personnel. How skilled Mr. Antony is in that area wasn't published/isn't known.

 

Antony once said he was involved in trades. See any old thread about trades under Smith. So the question is how much smarter is he in 2014 than in 2008-2011 under Smith.

 

 

 

The only way they should ever consider Antony as the successor at GM is if they get a real baseball guy (or guys) to oversee player personnel. If Antony has had any accomplishments in the trade area, wouldn't that have come out in one of these profile articles? It's scary to think of Antony going it alone in player decision-making versus the likes of the Rays and Cards- who are up to their armpits in proven talent evaluators and light years ahead philosophically and in evaluative tools. Haven't we already been there- and done that- with Bill Smith? Antony's portfolio seems similarly threadbare- and I am not convinced that Deron Johnson has proven to be capable enough to be the #2 guy, let alone the #1 guy. Krivsky is turning 60- probably time to turn the page on that notion.

 

Hiring 40-year old Keith Law for the Assistant GM job would be a good start (he was recently looking for just such a gig with the Astros). And then plucking a few smart guys from the budget-ball teams (A's, Cards, Rays) who have the proven penchant for finding hidden and undervalued talent at the major league, international and prospect levels. Once this team starts winning again, acquiring talent is going to become much more problematic. As all of the new prospects begin to flourish at the MLB level, we don't want to repeat the trades of a Hardy or Garza for nothing, Intl. FA signings like Nishioka, or in the draft, passing on a Trout or a Wacha who somehow fell down from the top ten picks in the draft, because we supposedly have the position filled with a "Twins Way" guy already.

[old nurse]

Right,but he didn't fully appreciate because he cited several keys parts to the job he hadn't been exposed to. That would be a grooming issue.

 

Dealing with the media. No big deal.

Watching games with the eye on roster construction. Part of his role has been evaluation of the major and minor league talent. Rather being the person doing the input, he is having the final say. I don't know how you would groom him any better than the trust Ryan may have had in his evaluations. The extent of his ability in evaluations and the trust in his judgement might be evidenced by they had him as acting GM rather than Krivisky.

[old nurse]

The only way they should ever consider Antony as the successor at GM is if they get a real baseball guy (or guys) to oversee player personnel. If Antony has had any accomplishments in the trade area, wouldn't that have come out in one of these profile articles? It's scary to think of Antony going it alone in player decision-making versus the likes of the Rays and Cards- who are up to their armpits in proven talent evaluators and light years ahead philosophically and in evaluative tools. Haven't we already been there- and done that- with Bill Smith? Antony's portfolio seems similarly threadbare- and I am not convinced that Deron Johnson has proven to be capable enough to be the #2 guy, let alone the #1 guy. Krivsky is turning 60- probably time to turn the page on that notion.

 

Hiring 40-year old Keith Law for the Assistant GM job would be a good start (he was recently looking for just such a gig with the Astros). And then plucking a few smart guys from the budget-ball teams (A's, Cards, Rays) who have the proven penchant for finding hidden and undervalued talent at the major league, international and prospect levels. Once this team starts winning again, acquiring talent is going to become much more problematic. As all of the new prospects begin to flourish at the MLB level, we don't want to repeat the trades of a Hardy or Garza for nothing, Intl. FA signings like Nishioka, or in the draft, passing on a Trout or a Wacha who somehow fell down from the top ten picks in the draft, because we supposedly have the position filled with a "Twins Way" guy already.

 

So you would have had the Twins draft Wacha rather than Buxton?

The Angels were so sold on Trout's ability they drafted somebody named Grichuck before they drafted him.

The talent evaluation is getting better as they keep adding better prospects. Their current farm system is rated better than the Cards or the Rays. Feel free to have doubts about their abilities, but the trend is showing better evaluations.

[cmathewson]

So you would have had the Twins draft Wacha rather than Buxton?

The Angels were so sold on Trout's ability they drafted somebody named Grichuck before they drafted him.

The talent evaluation is getting better as they keep adding better prospects. Their current farm system is rated better than the Cards or the Rays. Feel free to have doubts about their abilities, but the trend is showing better evaluations.

 

I think that is a matter of two things: 1. Johnson has done a much better job with the draft than Radcliff; 2. They have had better draft position the last two years. I don't know how much of their current talent has to do with Antony. Maybe some of the free agents. Maybe some of the trade acquisitions. Not much of the farm system.

[jokin]

So you would have had the Twins draft Wacha rather than Buxton?

The Angels were so sold on Trout's ability they drafted somebody named Grichuck before they drafted him.

The talent evaluation is getting better as they keep adding better prospects. Their current farm system is rated better than the Cards or the Rays. Feel free to have doubts about their abilities, but the trend is showing better evaluations.

 

Holy being taken out of context! What in the world are you talking about? I merely stated 2 guys who turned out to be great players chosen at the back end of the first round- precisely chosen by me, to illustrate a place where the Twins found themselves for most of the last decade, and has been the oft-stated reason (excuse?) given for why the Twins and their fans are forced to endure their current on-field failures at remaining even remotely competitive. Of course you're not going to get a winner drafting in the Teens and 20s every year, but since Mauer in 2001 the Twins have very, very little to show for their first round picks in the following 10 years- Perkins and Span are the only "winners" (they thought so little of Garza- speaking of "talent evaluating" abilities- they had to throw Jason Barlett into a trade with the Rays for Delmon- that's why I will always give the edge to the Rays in that category until the Twins prove different).

 

I'll have less and less doubts about their abilities when players they have drafted below the Top Five picks become players with abilities that are remotely impactful compared to a Wacha or Trout. And given their relative positions with their current personnel situations, the Cards are sitting pretty both in the near and intermediate future, and unlike the Twins, when they are forced to lose their top players, they seem to never miss a beat in replacing the losses and staying competitive. And the Rays? They are running circles around the Twins, personnel-wise and especially developmentally (they get their top prospects to the major leagues before their physical peak), and effectively with one armed tied behind their back, financially. No question that the Twins have gotten better prospects of late, but the lofty ranking of their farm system is artificially inflated by 2 of the prospects who were top draft picks, and one was via a trade of their only coveted asset (that method is now closed off- is there any coveted asset left on the major league roster short of Mauer?). The talent evaluation will have to get better, as they soon will pick lower at the Wacha/Trout level of the draft and they can't trade for a top prospect without tradeable assets in the first place. And just once, can they draft a college pitcher who either doesn't flame out or is forced to take the 6 year route to the majors?

[old nurse]

There is the past. It is what it is. Mistakes from the past should be used to learn from. The last few years the Twins have shown themselves to be better in the talent evaluation department. This is reflected in the prospects and their rankings. Time will tell if it they develop into major league players. More so the later picks like Rosario, Walker, Eades, and Gonslaves than the high picks like Buxton and Stewart.

The last few trades will take time to see how the players develop to see if they were good or bad trades. Smith made bad trades. He is not the GM anymore. The process on how Smith made trades is no longer relevant to today.

[Jack Goin]

I think you might be reading too much into it. He's probably fishing a little bit for things he can share with a reporter, and he related that observation. He very well has thought about those aspects of the job before, maybe even done them with TR to some extent, but they are probably quite different when you actually have to do them yourself (solo) for the first time.

Spycake, I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone, please don't forget Terry just went through surgery to remove cancer from his body. People aren't worried about if they are in line to be the next GM or not. They are concerned about a leader, a mentor, a person they care about beating cancer.

Rob is more than capable of handling the media. Rob is not thinking about how this might be his chance to shine. He's more concerned that Terry returns to full health. As is everyone in the front office.

[jay]

Spycake, I couldn't agree with you more.

Everyone, please don't forget Terry just went through surgery to remove cancer from his body. People aren't worried about if they are in line to be the next GM or not. They are concerned about a leader, a mentor, a person they care about beating cancer.

Rob is more than capable of handling the media. Rob is not thinking about how this might be his chance to shine. He's more concerned that Terry returns to full health. As is everyone in the front office.

 

Best wishes to Terry, as many passionate fans here have echoed.

 

I hope Jack's post is remembered the next time someone is convinced of their literal interpretation of a quote or even a full statement in an interview. Life is full of context... even the most extensive reporting can't capture that.

[beckmt]

If TR does not return before the end of spring training, Gardy will probably have a lot of say in who goes north with the team, that may or may not be a good thing(win now vs the future). I would rather focus on the future.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Spycake, I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone, please don't forget Terry just went through surgery to remove cancer from his body. People aren't worried about if they are in line to be the next GM or not. They are concerned about a leader, a mentor, a person they care about beating cancer.

Rob is more than capable of handling the media. Rob is not thinking about how this might be his chance to shine. He's more concerned that Terry returns to full health. As is everyone in the front office.

 

Thanks for stopping by, Jack. And don't worry -- we all certainly share your concern about TR's health. We just can't help discussing other front office types and their roles, like Antony (and you too ).

 

Would you have any moments to chat again? We could resurrect that old thread of yours. Just curious what your spring training has been like (what's your focus? 25 man roster, 40 man roster... other team's 40 man rosters?). Also what general thoughts you have about the new ballpark data capture system recently announced by MLB Advanced Media (I noticed that Target Field is one of the early adopters), and how much of that data will be publicly available (and in what format). Thanks again!