Twins GFP

Did anybody listen to Mike and Mike on ESPN radio this morning? Everybody is forgetting one simple thing: luck. Like it or not, once you get into a short series, luck can have an awful lot to do with whether you make it through or not. Greenberg called it "the team of destiny" and "the baseball gods", but a feak play at the right/wrong time can change everything

Dozier who? Does anybody really think he has a chance to make the roster out of ST given he wasn't even called back up in September?

I highly doubt Casilla will be back. I would like to see him moved in a trade for some high risk A-ball pitcher at least, or just DFA him. He will be offered money by some team . As much as Span is the "big" trade candidate, I still have a tough time seeing him traded. Good defense, good offense, cheap... just the type of player we need around here. I think the Twins are more apt to sign pitchers than trade away any of their current position players. Doumit, Mauer, Willingham, Carroll produce more than their salary. Revere, Parmalee, Plouffe too young/cheap to move. Morneau could stay just as easily go, can't see them selling very low on him. Nobody else is a current core player, their leaving would be negligible. The only moves I can see would be in a situation where they would improve over their current player. I don't see many situations (other than 2B) where the Twins could do that and still keep costs relatively low. If the Twins are able to sign a few Marcum types, and stay healthy for once, I think you will see a quick and large rise in their win total.

Any news on the Alexi Casilla front? Are they looking to keep, move, or release him?

Waldrop a little surprising, but not major. The decision to not want Capps came about two and a half years too late. Nope, no need for Wilson Ramos on this team...

Good for him. Hope he gerts the job. I always thought Red Dog would make a good manager.

Blah, blah, blah... the Twins history of not doling out large contracts to FA, especially pitchers, would lead one to expect the Twins will not sign a major pitching name this offseason, rather they will sign 1-2 back-end starters for 1-2 years, $5-7 mil per season. Opinions from the Twins fans regarding the amount of money the team has to spend this year can't possibly have any value as their payroll budget has not been released yet.

I had read previously that they really like the work he is doing there. It wouldn't surprise me to see him as a GM somewhere soon.

I am a little perplexed as to why everybody feels that Molitor would be a good coach/manager. Other than the recent feelers, what interest has he really shown in coaching? There have been countless managerial and coaching openings over the last few years,I don't recall hearing Molitors name mentioned once as a candidate. Ryne Sandberg wants to manage, and he is chasing a job all over the place. Ventura and Matheny are not good comps as both of them have only been out of the league a few years. Seriously... get somebody who really wants it.

There is nothing the matter with being negative on the Twins FA history or Ryan's methods - and it certainly is fine to be a fan of AJ. But you do yourself a deservice when you say things like AJ has been well received by his teammates. You simply haven't been paying attention. Unless I have missed something recently, everything I have read about AJ is that his teammates love him, and everybody else hates him. He plays agressive and borderline cheap, he never gets hurt, he protects hisn pitchers and teammates, and he is consistantly productive. I would welcomwe him back to this team in a heartbeat if it wasn'y for the fact there isn't a spot for him on the roster (he needs to play almost every day, he is not a good fit for Butera's spot)

I much prefer Ugueth Urbina's "Win one or I'll ****ing kill you. And we have a winner for best motivational quote of the year!

you think because a person doesnt like management or ownership , or if a person expects more then what the twins will do they should change teams???? hears a little tip , if you dont like what he writes dont read it ....but most learned fans whos noses arnt attached to management rear end know its time for new blood, as for trading for a shortstop why go after a 29 year old if we are not going after 2 front of the rotation pitchers? it will be plain to see if the front office wants to win or just wants to send up a smoke screen by what they pursue if pitching.....if its 2nd and 3rd tier inning eaters why sign a 29 year old when he will be retired before we have a decent starting rotation? Does anybody really think they could get 2 #1-2 starters today without gutting the minors and destroying their payroll? Where would that put them?

The gist is right. This thread started as a complaint about what a select few did not want to see. There is nothing ironic about the moniker. Actually, for the purpose of this discussion, it proves my point even more. I do believe Dan Gladden needs to be fired. I believe he is a terrible radio announcer that the Twins need to let go immediately. I don't need to write an in-depth article giving multiple examples why, I can just say it and be done. If you want some some imaginary level of journalism met by the writers and posters, go somewhere else.

You might have a point if such considerations were baseless. Elitism isn't a bad thing when it asks people to better articulate their point of view and be more considerate about what they share with others. Asking people to be thoughtful doesn't exclude them, and if your ideas are well-thought out and you convey them convincingly, everyone here will like you. Honestly, no one wants to get into a discussion about how reckless and fuzzy abstract standards can be. Let's just table that, and be smart about baseball. Not baseless. The gist of this thread is saying that people who can't write articles to the "accepted" levels of a select few should not be posting anything. I wholeheartedly disagree. This site should be welcoming to all levels of Twins fans. Those that have their head buried under 4 feet of saber metrics all the way to the occasional game watcher. There is enough room for all. Some people can't do a better job of articulating point, which may be why they are starting a thread in the first place. Some people may just want to discuss and learn in the process. Some people rabble-rouse (you know who you are). You shouldn't be required to have a 5 paragraph, thoroughly researched point to post an article. When you say that somebody can't bring their point to the table because it doesn't meet your level of expectation to begin with is elitist and it is not good.

I think of all the high-end pitchers to come on the market in the last few years, Grienke would be the one would seem to be the most probable to come here. With his history, his reticence to play in a big market, and with what the Twins need, it seems like a fit. That being said, I believe the chances of the Twins actually signing him to a large long-term deal are virtually non-nonexistent. Keeping in mind Willingham is the largest FA contract the Twins have given, quadrupling it for a pitcher with past issues seems unbelievable.

Is the assumption that new people here don't know baseball when they get here and therefore aren't intellectual enough at the beginning? If I'm misunderstanding your post, and some other's posts saying things along those same lines, please let me know. Cause some of us were just posting elsewhere for many years and heard about this great place and came over. That is not it at all. A draw-back of less than casual fans is they assume players can be swapped like RBI Baseball trades. I'm certainly not calling anyone out in particular in this thread (dave, i gave you **** about DeRosa because I've given you **** every offseason for the last 4 years). Why it is said that "new" posters are guilty of this is because they haven't spent enough time on forums to know that it takes more than one team needs a pitcher and one needs a hitter so lets swap! Most on here know that. I don't mean to be elitist about this, and am not calling individual posters or threads out. I'm just saying lets collectively bring good ideas and non-redundant topics to discussion. People can post what they want and talk about what they want so it shouldn't make much difference what I want anyway, just sayin. Like it or not, this whole thread reeks of elitism. A discussion only about what you consider to be worth posting and how it should be delivered? Not elitist? Really?

The comments under this ESPN article are a hoot. The Yankee fans are calling Caple a whiner, a Yankee hater, and a "bitter Red Sox fan". Actually, I think Caple wrote this article because he is a Twins fan (read his previous stuff, he is almost always pro-Twins) and wants to rile up the Yankee fanbase by putting the truth in their face.

Wow. Not even 24 hours and the same old haters can't even give the guy a little respect. Jim Rantz spent over two/thirds of his life working for the Twins. He was a major part in virtually everything that is and ever has been a part of this team. He was here from Killebrew to Mauer, from the Met to Target Field, from Sam Mele to Gardy, and everything in between. Regardless of what you think he brought to the table, or whether you think he did a good job, you have to respect what he personally gave to this franchise. For those of you that can't understand this, I am very glad that I don't wake up in the morning with your pitiful outlook on life.

As a fan who is sick and tired of the Jeter "mystic", let me say this: He is overrated. You may think it hard to say that a player with 3300 hits is overrated, but it is actually pretty simple: - He has played on a team that constantly has all-star players batting around him, which can only make his job that much easier. - At any given time, he was never considered the best current player at his position (Tejada, A-Rod, Nomar, Rollins, Ramirez). - He has only led the league in PA (5 times), AB (once), Runs (once) and hits (twice). Not exactly dominating numbers considering what he supposedly brings to the table. - Never an MVP - While he has 5 GG, every defensive metric under the sun shows him to be a sub-par to atrocious defender. - His biggest plus is that he rarely misses a game. Now that isn't a bad thing, but we don't have any problem destroying compiliers, why does Jeter get a pass in this area. Let's talk about Cap'n Jetes "ability" to lead a team: - Refused to even discuss moving from short when the team acquired A-Rod, though at the time A-Rod was a superior defensive player. - He plays the media to make himself look better. When A-Rod struggles, Jeter is mysteriously silent. But if others struggle, Jeter will publicly support them. He's done this to others as well. - Refused to discuss moving to the outfield, though it would make the team better. Yount, Biggio... Cabrera moved back to 3B this year to accomidate Fielder. Jeter just has to look to his right for somebody willing to sacrifice for the team. Many other things he gets credit for crack me up: - All-Star selections are meaningless. It's a popularity contest. - Yes, Derek Jeter dates "dream" women. So does virtually every other MLB player. Seriously, have you seen the wives of most of these guys? Also, do you suppose they all got the Derek Jeter date package left for them in the backseat of the car the morning after? Derek Jeter is an elitist, self-centered, egomaniac. I boo Derek Jeter because he is a Yankee and because I believe him to be overrated. If he played for the Royals his whole career, would you put him over George Brett? I wouldn't. The Jeter legend is driven solely by the media. Put him on a midwestern team and he becomes Craig Biggio. Not a bad player, just not a "greatest of all time"

Great in theory, but probably not feasable. Players like Chavez still have value and tend to go where they have a chance to win. Money will probably not be his primary issue in deciding where to play. The Twins would probably have to greatly overpay markey value to get him ($3M per). 3B is down the list of problems for me, I would rather see that money go elsewhere.

To me, the telling factor is that this is really your one-stop-shop for all things Twins related. There are so many people watching so many areas, this site not only his insanely up-to-date Twins info, but also feedback on how the the info is received. My thanks for providing the first and last place any Twins fan needs to go.

Make a run at every available pitcher out there. Get one or two on your terms. Josh Johnson would be a nice fit, but I would prefer Shields if I had to choose. Work on him to sign an extension. Short term fixes are fine, but you can't destroy the payroll or the farm system to do it. That is why you see the Carroll/Doumit type signings, instead of huge dollar investments. I would be willing to move one of the big name prospects if it means having a staff ace for the next 5-7 years.

Well, either everybody won't admit to their predictions, or nobody saw the link to the article at the top of the article. I'll give you another chance. http://twinsdaily.com/showthread.php...tions-for-2012

. As it happens I am over 60 and can tell you about age and the workplace. Yes, age isn't going to be cited in the release of the various coaches by the Twins. Clearly, however it is a factor. The coaches are required to do any number of active things from throwing batting practice to hitting fungos, to running/hitting infield, etc. If you have too many coaches who are limited in what they can do, it becomes a problem. I can see the need on the Twins staff for Spanish speaking members and perhaps someone who could be a successor to Gardenhire. Now the Twins aren't going to speak to openly about some of these things, but they likely should of have been addressed gradually over the last few years. Since they weren't, the poor play over the last 2 years offers some justification for doing it now. As a manager that has managed hundreds of employees, I can tell you that statement is garbage, even in sports. Let's start with an easy one: NBA officials. NBA officials generally get better with age. Many of them are in their late 50's and early 60's with no signs of slowing down. Heck, Dick Bavetta, considered one of the best refs in the league, turns 73 in December. Don't think they have to be physically fit in their jobs? The list of D1 Baskteball coaches over the age of 60 is too long to list. MLB: Jim Leyland, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, Dusty Baker, Ron Washington... Maybe you couldn't physically handle the rigors of professional sports at your age, but don't lump everybodyu into the same boat. I would much rather have a qualified individual in their 60's or 70's than a leeser one in their 40's. If anybody tells you otherwise, they are a poor decision maker.

Yeah, and the whole premise of this article turns out to be "overkill" as somehow Nick Nelson's pictured weapon for his "Bloodbath" should have been a hatchet instead of an axe. And, as it turns out, the clean-up from this bloodbath will only require a sponge rather than Zamboni. Hatchet? ok. Let's re-examine who was let go: 2 60+ year old guys and someone who was on the record saying that he will retire after this season. sounds more like a stapler than a hatchet Now the factthat they are over 60 yrs old makes them a bad coach? Ageism is against the law you know. No. The fact that they are in their sixties makes them close to retirement. Somebody better tell Jim Leyland, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, Dusty Baker, and Ron Washington that they are too old to be managing.