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    Did the Twins Players-Only Meeting Save The Team From Itself?

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Frustrations started mounting for the players and manager, especially in some quotes to the media. Did a players-only meeting save the team from further disintegration?

    Image courtesy of Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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    The Minnesota Twins have been Jekyll and Hyde this season, with a 7-13 stretch to open the season, followed by a 17-3 stretch, which quickly devolved into a seven-game losing streak. It was the team’s longest losing streak in six years. Following Monday’s 12-3 thrashing by the Nationals, Twins players held a players-only meeting to stop the team’s downward spiral. 

    Minnesota’s bats woke up on Tuesday, and they blew out the Nationals by a final score of 10-0. Byron Buxton led the way with a pair of home runs, and the Rally Sausage made a return appearance in the nation’s capital. On Wednesday, the team secured a series victory with good pitching and more bombs, this time from Max Kepler and Carlos Correa. The aura around the team is far from being normalized, especially after some key events over the weekend pointed to internal trouble.

    On Sunday, the Twins lost on a walk-off home run, a tough pill to swallow, especially with the team’s star closer on the mound. Jhoan Durán threw a first-pitch curveball to Will Brennan, but stated after the game that he disagreed with that call.

    "It's not my decision," Durán told reporters. "I thought that [Brennan] wasn't good with fastballs. I'm an employee here, so whatever I need to throw, I need to throw it." 

    So, who should get the blame for the pitch selection? Pitching coach Pete Maki and catcher Christian Vázquez held a mound visit with Durán before facing Brennan. Durán’s comments seemed like an out-of-character move from a typically reserved player.

    Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was asked about Durán’s comments before Monday’s game.

    "I think he's just frustrated and was looking for a way to vent," Baldelli said, "I thought it was unusual. I wasn't expecting it. I like to handle our stuff here with a conversation in the clubhouse."

    Durán took two losses in the Cleveland series, surrendering a go-ahead home run on Friday night against José Ramírez and the game-ender to Brennan Sunday. His curveball was the culprit both times. Durán has seen a drop in velocity this season, forcing him to adjust his pitch selection. Many fans love watching his triple-digit fastball, but his curveball has been his best pitch throughout his big-league tenure. Frustration was boiling over, and that came out of the manager on Monday.  

    Minnesota’s offensive woes continued in the first game of the series against the Nationals and Baldelli was as frustrated as he will show the media on camera.

    “The guy just stood out there and threw off-speed pitches for like four straight innings,” Baldelli said. “We didn’t do anything about it. We continued to wave at them and look for fastballs, which today, they weren’t coming, especially the first five, six innings. In this stretch of games where we’ve been struggling, that’s been a common theme.

    “You can’t take three, four, five innings to adjust to what the starting pitch is doing to you. That’s not quality professional baseball.”  

    “I’ve seen a lot of streaky baseball,” Baldelli went on to say. “We all have. This is next-level stuff.” It is interesting that Baldelli would make such harsh comments, especially after calling out his closer for not keeping the “conversation in the clubhouse.”

    Any team mired in an extended losing streak will have tension. Thankfully, the Twins ended their brutal losing streak and can focus on some positives surrounding the team. There is still a lot of baseball left to play in the 2024 season, and the Twins need to ensure that the team stays out of their own way.

    Whose comments were more surprising, Durán's or Baldelli's? Will the players-only meeting be a turning point for the season? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    Featured Comments

    Schmoeman5

    Schmoeman5 3,193

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    6 hours ago, Peter said:

    Needed to be done!!! As fans we have to have demands and expectations for twins and ALL of our Minnesota teams!!! With that said it’s time for twins to get back to winning series/another long winning streak to get back into division race!!! As for wolves they need to get their s—t together after last night!!!(referees screwed them) state of Minnesota desperately needs a 

    The refs or umpires are always the reason.  ALWAYS. 

    rv78

    rv78 3,125

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    7 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

    That directed at who about what? ………the Manager gets interviewed 1-2 times every day - he’s the face of the Club …….he’s supposed to support Duran’s comments by saying, “yep, we shouldn’t have had asked him to throw his most successful pitch”?? Duran’s comments were chicken sh.. stuff, from any clubhouse at any level of baseball.

    Shake the guy off or speak up on the mound conference OR make a quality pitch!! Whose fault was the home run on Wednesday v. Nationals - the hitting coach - some fan yelling - weak comments by Duran outside of the Team construct!!

    Never said Rocco was suppose to support Duran's comment. I was inferring, he shouldn't be critical of players comments to the media when he does the same thing. When he criticizes his players to the media for not changing their approach at the plate which he has done multiple times and did again by saying “You can’t take three, four, five innings to adjust to what the starting pitch is doing to you. That’s not quality professional baseball.”  who is setting the example? They have a word for people like that..... it's "hypocrite".  Maybe what Rocco should have said was... We made the wrong call or My pitcher just didn't make a quality pitch when he needed to and took some responsibility. If he's such a great Manager then why does it take his players three, four, five innings to adjust or why don't they change their approach at the plate from the very 1st at bat? I thought he was so good with his players, such a great communicator. Yet stuff like this is happening? Maybe in the players only meeting, they discussed, and decided, not to listen to Rocco. 

    arby58

    arby58 3,616

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    11 hours ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

    Fun teams don't call team meetings.

    Disgruntled teams do.

    And that means they either don't believe in themselves, or their teammates, or their coach(es).

    Which indicates a "head" coaching failure of some sort and a necessary trip Back to the Drawing Board.

    This seems a bit of an overreaction. 

    wabene

    wabene 7,146

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    6 hours ago, rv78 said:

     

     

     

    6 hours ago, rv78 said:

    Never said Rocco was suppose to support Duran's comment. I was inferring, he shouldn't be critical of players comments to the media when he does the same thing. When he criticizes his players to the media for not changing their approach at the plate which he has done multiple times and did again by saying “You can’t take three, four, five innings to adjust to what the starting pitch is doing to you. That’s not quality professional baseball.”  who is setting the example? They have a word for people like that..... it's "hypocrite".  Maybe what Rocco should have said was... We made the wrong call or My pitcher just didn't make a quality pitch when he needed to and took some responsibility. If he's such a great Manager then why does it take his players three, four, five innings to adjust or why don't they change their approach at the plate from the very 1st at bat? I thought he was so good with his players, such a great communicator. Yet stuff like this is happening? Maybe in the players only meeting, they discussed, and decided, not to listen to Rocco. 

    Rocco is supposed to lead the clubhouse and when one of his charges, in a state of duress, speaks out of turn, react accordingly and firmly. That is what happened.

    arby58

    arby58 3,616

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    8 hours ago, Reptevia said:

    “Ultimately, Duran throws the pitch - I simply do not believe that the Twins will tell their best relief pitcher that he needs to throw the pitch the pitching coach/catcher call 'or else.' Or else what? I still think this is on Duran.“

    Really?  After Duran has seen the way Alcalá has been treated?  Why would he think anything other than “or else”?

    You really think they are going to send Duran down to AAA? What color is the sky in your world?

    Mark G

    Mark G 2,935

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    When players in any sport feel like they need to tell their coaches "don't go away mad..........just go away" you have to wonder if they trust themselves to hold each other accountable more than they trust the coaches.  If that is the case, there is nothing good to say.  If they just want to vent, and this will help them get their frustrations out and go forward, good for them.  Time will tell which one is the most probable.  I am hoping for the latter.  

    rv78

    rv78 3,125

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    10 hours ago, wabene said:

     

     

    Rocco is supposed to lead the clubhouse and when one of his charges, in a state of duress, speaks out of turn, react accordingly and firmly. That is what happened.

    Who has been openly critical to the media in the past? Rocco. Not the players. As I understand it, this is the first time a player has been that way. Rocco has done it multiple times. As I said before........... Do as I say, not as I do. 

    JD-TWINS

    JD-TWINS 6,210

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    18 hours ago, Larry Janisewski said:

    Agree that the state of Minnesota is in need of a championship but doubt it will come  the Twins this year. In a huge series vs the Guardians last weekend the Twins started a lineup with 4 players batting .205 and lower as well as 5 players with OBP under .300. It resulted in an 11-4 loss.

    May 19th - Buxton & Lewis out of line-up…….can’t be too worried about the acorns falling.

    wabene

    wabene 7,146

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    1 hour ago, rv78 said:

    Who has been openly critical to the media in the past? Rocco. Not the players. As I understand it, this is the first time a player has been that way. Rocco has done it multiple times. As I said before........... Do as I say, not as I do. 

    Rocco has never openly criticized Duran before. Rocco usually says things like WE need to be better at this or WE need to do a better job of that. He does this while performing his daily duty of addressing the media. This is a role his players do not share. It is true that there have been a handful of occasions when a player was not holding up their end of the bargain that Baldelli expressed it to the media, for example with Kepler last year before his breakout. This was done as a sort of last resort when things were so bad fans and media were nearly universally calling for Kepler to be released. I believe it was calculated and apparently effective. 

    Yes players often speak to the media, but it is not in the same capacity as the manager.

    rv78

    rv78 3,125

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    6 hours ago, wabene said:

    Rocco has never openly criticized Duran before. Rocco usually says things like WE need to be better at this or WE need to do a better job of that. He does this while performing his daily duty of addressing the media. This is a role his players do not share. It is true that there have been a handful of occasions when a player was not holding up their end of the bargain that Baldelli expressed it to the media, for example with Kepler last year before his breakout. This was done as a sort of last resort when things were so bad fans and media were nearly universally calling for Kepler to be released. I believe it was calculated and apparently effective. 

    Yes players often speak to the media, but it is not in the same capacity as the manager.

    It is apparent you do not understand the meaning of my statements. The Manager should be setting an example. He is the Leader. Any comments to the media about the shortcomings or faults of his players should either be completely withheld or he should address them in a way that shows he is partially responsible, and that should be done EVERYTIME. It doesn't matter if this is the first time for Duran or any other player for that matter.

    If you want to believe that is what turned Keplers season around then so be it. Did Rocco make the same comments at the start of this season too since Kepler is one of the best hitters so far in 2024? I don't remember that happening. Maybe, just maybe, Kepler decided to quit swinging for the fences and trying to pull every pitch, which correlates to only having 4 HR's but leading the team with a .311 BA and tied for the team lead in doubles with 12. Sure, it's a small sample size so far this season and by the end of June Kepler could be back to his usual .220 BA. Let's hope if that happens it doesn't take Rocco another half of a season to make those same comments to wake Kepler up again.

    wabene

    wabene 7,146

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    1 hour ago, rv78 said:

    It is apparent you do not understand the meaning of my statements. The Manager should be setting an example. He is the Leader. Any comments to the media about the shortcomings or faults of his players should either be completely withheld or he should address them in a way that shows he is partially responsible, and that should be done EVERYTIME. It doesn't matter if this is the first time for Duran or any other player for that matter.

    If you want to believe that is what turned Keplers season around then so be it. Did Rocco make the same comments at the start of this season too since Kepler is one of the best hitters so far in 2024? I don't remember that happening. Maybe, just maybe, Kepler decided to quit swinging for the fences and trying to pull every pitch, which correlates to only having 4 HR's but leading the team with a .311 BA and tied for the team lead in doubles with 12. Sure, it's a small sample size so far this season and by the end of June Kepler could be back to his usual .220 BA. Let's hope if that happens it doesn't take Rocco another half of a season to make those same comments to wake Kepler up again.

    Looks like you and I will have different reactions to this little drama. A long losing streak will cause tension. I expect this to blow over. Duran came through Wednesday, that's the best medicine.

    Reptevia

    Reptevia 627

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    18 hours ago, arby58 said:

    You really think they are going to send Duran down to AAA? What color is the sky in your world?

    With the state of our bullpen, do you really think they would send down a pitcher with a zero era?  That happened in the real world. The one I and the Twins pitchers live in.  What are they supposed to think??



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