jctwins

Maybe it's my bias toward negativity, but I'm pretty hard pressed to be convinced that any move to improve this team now is a bite on the future, and the present isn't bright enough to make it worth investing much in the way of resources. That said, they didn't give much up other than money, which there is plenty of to go around. Put me in the camp of the only way I'm really excited is if they trade win-now assets for really highly valued future assets. An anomoly I know.

That's a moving tribute.

This wonderful composition harkens back to I believe a Ruben Sierra Twins tribute video? If that could be added to this thread, this reader would enjoy watching it one more time.

The Richard name never got old for me.

As has been said, there is little doubt that this will be a way to increase ST prices by the same 2.5%, which they have delayed doing for several years. It will make it easier to swallow, and less noticable for the STH that pay their balance on a monthly basis.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/25/sports/baseball/minnesota-twins-derek-falvey.html?_r=0 Nice article from an outside source about Falvey.

No surprise. Sid didn't ask any tough questions, and Pohlad didn't give any substantive answers.

This post managed to make me both happy and sad about the last ten years all at the same time.

Brendan Harris had a really good Spring Training once. That was fun.

These issues are why you phase in the change over time. Reduce pitching changes to a one minute break, and drop 30 seconds per break from at a rate of one inning per year. Pretty easy to solve really.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18737123/mlb-promotes-4-umpires-replace-retiring-jim-joyce-john-hirschbeck-tim-welke-bob-davidson I'll miss Jim Joyce behind the plate. And who can forget the missed call and day after events of the no-hitter (or was it a perfect game?) Considering how few umpires there are, four turning over in one year is pretty remarkable. If you haven't, read "As They See Em" if you want a good baseball read about the umpires.

Take away one game per season over ten years to stretch out the impact to owners. 152 games. Force relievers to either finish the inning or face three batters if they don't finish an inning. Drop warm up pitchers for relievers down to 2 or 3, therefore a slight cut back in commercial time. Make pitchers stay on the mound, and add a clock. Have replays handled during the time it takes the TV crew to show the replay, and stop the game only if it seems to merit taking a closer look at. Let the off-field umpire make the call without taking everyone out of position. Put it up on the screen for the entire ballpark to see at once. Cut the break between innings by 30 seconds, especially in the early innings of a game. Cut back one inning per year over 9 years to minimize the impact to owners. All of the above doesn't mess with the game, and in a sense pushes it back toward its traditions without any gimmicks like adding runners. Done!

Here is to hoping one day we shall again return to discussing "gold glove calibur" Orlando Hudson, the concession guy with giant glasses, and people that chewed out someone sitting in their section but then realized they were in the wrong section.

The other cool thing about working at a concession stand at Target Field is that you don't need to have any level of understanding of proper customer service or what it means to do your job efficiently. Pretty good gig.

There is a way to use nicety speak and at least acknowledge the organization is in the dark ages in many ways. But no use beating a horse.

Not to mention having to listen to terrible music just minutes after the end of a game, when it should be hard core post-post game talk.

I was there during the Falvey/Pohlad/St. Peter Q&A today. I don't think it was being broadcast to radio. Unfortunately it was all rainbows and unicorns in Twins land, with no substance, other than Jim Pohlad with a Sh-t eating grin on his face saying he liked Mike Granite because "he likes his last name", and also answering more than one question with "I'm not a baseball guy, but..." It took all that was within me not to ask Falvey what he knew about working for an owner that doesn't know which end of a baseball bat goes in your hands, and how you remove the cancer from an organization that has been run like a country club for 20 years where no one gets fired, they just get reassigned and collect a salary for life. He seemed quite intent on being gracious to his superiors on the stage and talking about how great things are going to be in Twinsland. Sigh.

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet: http://www.startribune.com/mauer-says-he-s-healthy-again-molitor-wonders-if-less-is-better/410547275/ Most notable: “I feel great,” the Twins’ first baseman said Thursday, at a press conference to announce that Billy Joel will play Target Field in July. “I knew it would take time, and it did, but I’m back to where I should be — getting ready to play.” Mauer ended the season on the bench, suffering from a quad injury that kept getting worse as he tried to keep playing. He appeared in only one game over the season’s final two weeks, and admitted during the final homestand that “I feel terrible. I’ve been feeling terrible for awhile.” How wonderful to get this news even before Spring Training when we usually do. Full text because it's short: Three months of rest and treatment have Joe Mauer optimistic again. “I feel great,” the Twins’ first baseman said Thursday, at a press conference to announce that Billy Joel will play Target Field in July. “I knew it would take time, and it did, but I’m back to where I should be — getting ready to play.” Mauer ended the season on the bench, suffering from a quad injury that kept getting worse as he tried to keep playing. He appeared in only one game over the season’s final two weeks, and admitted during the final homestand that “I feel terrible. I’ve been feeling terrible for awhile.” He embarked on a treatment program once the season ended that involved regular stretching, a few treatments from trainers, and lots of rest. “I feel real good about where I am now,” Mauer said. “This offseason has been very productive for me.” Mauer said he will be fit and ready for the start of training camp in four weeks, and hopeful of bouncing back from a terrible season, both for him and his team. Mauer started the 2016 season strong, playing in each of the Twins’ first 42 games, and he was hitting above .300 through the first week of May. But injuries and an increasing problem hitting lefthanders — just a .224 average and a .291 on-base percentage, both career-lows — plagued him the rest of the season. As the injury worsened, Mauer went into a tailspin, batting just .146 (12 for 82) from Aug. 18 on. Those problems have given manager Paul Molitor something to think about. Mauer sat out only eight games of the Twins’ first 125, and the manager wonders if the 33-year-old's up-and-down season had something to do with it. “I think the catching takes its toll, even thought he’s not in that position any more. I’m going to try to gauge where he’s at a little bit more,” Molitor said. “I haven’t had a lot of specific conversations with Joe, but … maybe a little less might be a little better.” One thing that could help, Molitor said: The Twins’ new front office has already invested in new medical equipment to help evaluate their players. “We’re an experimental team,” Molitor joked.

I'm glad there is another thread about Dozier, and this list clearly proves he is "elite."

Good point. I have nothing to refute that. I certainly don't feel strongly enough about any of it to justify more pages in this thread. There is just way too much emphasis being pinned on both Dozier, and the trade itself.

Here we go; this. Certainly not worth arguing over. I read it as an elite, power hitting middle infielder. Again, no matter what, I just don't think he's earned the term "elite". Lead a team to something that matters and then I'll call you elite.

Things that won't surprise me...LEN3 writes that Sano "looks great" and Mauer says he had a better off-season than he's had in a long time and feels better than he has in a long time because of it.

It's a little early to tag him as "elite".

Let's pump the brakes just a bit here.

I believe you are making this as a statement of fact. This might be true, but I believe the propenderance of statements made that year to year comparisons aren't really the priority right now, and building a team with a long term plan is. That does not necessarily represent any immediate improvement in the record, just better decision making with player development and rebuilding the system in mind.