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LastOnePicked

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Everything posted by LastOnePicked

  1. LastOnePicked
    Wishing these folks the best, but hoping we can get some fresh perspective on the coaching staff. Can't shake the feeling that it won't matter much until a new captain boards the ship.
  2. LastOnePicked
    I just wish they'd pick a lane and stick with it. If you're a team built around Lopez, Correa and Buxton, crank open that competitive window for another few years and try a few additional big free agent splashes. If that fails, tear it down in 2027 and rebuild. That really should have been the plan last offseason, since you actually got fairly decent seasons from the big three in 2024. You may not get that again. Or, if you're a team built around the "cheap guys," turn the reins over to SWR, Lewis, Wallner and the graduating rookie class. Let them take some lumps without pretending you're a contender. Trade Lopez and Jeffers. See what your remaining veterans can bring in at the deadline. Let Buxton and Correa shift over to being mentors (their contracts are likely untradeable anyways). Set your sights on 2027. I don't understand the point of trying to build a team between these two pathways. You're either putting too much pressure on the shoulders of your rookies, or you're putting too much faith in just a few established stars. You can maybe thread the needle on this ... if you have an incredible coaching staff. Enough said.
  3. LastOnePicked
    I don't think they'd bring in someone who'd do things drastically differently, you're right. But I hope they would. I advocate that they would. I darn near demand they should. I'd actually think they'd want someone who could make their "system" work with players. If they have a winning formula in the executive suite, it's getting lost in translation. And I believe from experience that despite any executive philosophy, managers within an organization can make a huge difference. I've been a part of amazing departments for organizations with failing philosophies, all because the managers of those departments were just smart and wise. What people say and do matter. It's why some managers end up in the hall of fame.
  4. LastOnePicked
    With much respect, you don't know this. Roster construction is very important, you're right. But the way a leader communicates, encourages and develops talent matters. It may solve some things. It may lead to improved fundamental baseball. That could certainly be worth 3-5 games a year. We know that makes a difference. At this point, it's worth putting this question to the test. Especially if the FO philosophy remains the same.
  5. LastOnePicked
    This is the one thing I wish I could change about our collective mindset as fans. This wasn't disappointment; this was malpractice. I have no problem with disappointment in baseball. 29 MLB fanbases will fall short of the big championship dream. 18 will find themselves watching the playoffs from the outside. The smaller market teams will always feel this brunt more than the elites. That's understood. No cause for anger. When you have an organization that has underspent in the lean years, but refuses to overspend in the contention-window years, that's more than disappointing. When you lose critical games with incredibly poor fundamentals, that's more than disappointing. When you have epic late-season collapses, that's more than disappointing. It suggests a real problem with team culture. If the Twins had lost their season to a juggernaut team, watching a Ryan Jeffers screaming liner find the glove of a diving infielder, who fires to second, narrowly nabbing the lead runner for a stunning double play. That would be disappointing, yes. Popping up a bunt to the hapless Marlins, who catch a slumbering Santana off of second base? Dropping from 95% playoff odds to 0% in about five weeks? All of this might suggest more than disappointment.
  6. LastOnePicked
    Great questions. I think the answer is this: this organization doesn't have an identity. They don't know what they're planning for or building towards. They signed Correa, which should have suggested that it was time to bolster the roster with established free agents and use the farm system for savvy deadline trades. Create a window of contention, use your assets, bring home a title. Nope. The very next year, they treat the offseason as though they're a 100-loss rebuilding club, slashing payroll and relying on unproven rookies and waiver claims to plug huge gaps. And honestly, that would be fine ... if they were a rebuilding club. They seem like they're trying to do the one thing that NEVER seems to create championship baseball: timidly nibble, put tremendous amounts of hopes in injured players, low-grade free agents and other teams roster cast-offs and stubbornly refuse to make staffing changes when performance is poor. At that point, you're an also-ran. You're the Angels. You're the Pirates. You're a non-threat to great ballclubs. And you lose fans.
  7. LastOnePicked
    This one seems the worst to me. 11 months ago the mantra from this team was "you ain't seen nothing yet." And I guess they were right, but not in the ways we had hoped. What makes it the worst is that it's just an incredible unforced error by the organization. Last fall, I saw more Twins jerseys at work and in the neighborhood than I had in years. There was a palpable sense that the promise of having an established superstar (Correa) supporting an up-and-coming class of stars was about to yield results. After all, the curse was lifted, right? Instead, we know what happened. The organization immediately bobbled the ball on payroll and broadcasting, and that fundamental shakiness eventually hit the dugout, the batter's box and the playing field. Ripples of incompetence, staffed by people without the skills to steady the ship. And now, what exactly? Keeping payroll flat (as Joe Pohlad suggested) essentially means a cut, since payrolls across MLB tend to rise each year. The play of the rookies doesn't suggest that the farm system is building a smooth transition to the major leagues. Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City are on the rise, meaning that the Twins now share a dogfight division rather than a cakewalk division. And the central voice in the dugout - the skipper who has overseen two of these "most disappointing seasons in Twins history" in just the last three years - will remain the same. Baseball can surprise us all, but I'll be really surprised if 2024 wasn't the start of a prolonged franchise slide.
  8. LastOnePicked
    Hey, this is lovely. Seriously. But those of us who are upset about this announcement would like to see loyalty like yours rewarded with a few more championship runs to cherish. And the next Twins manager and FO staff could be like family too, you know. :) We need to open that door at some point. This organization really should do better to honor fans like you.
  9. LastOnePicked
    Neither do I. People realize that a MLB manager isn't going to starve in the streets after a firing, right? I mean, this is an elite position. The pay is good, and there are always chances to coach at other levels. Rocco would survive. And so would the Twins. There are probably about a hundred people in the country who would be immediately qualified. Some of them might be the tonic this team needs to take things to the next level. Few could do too much worse.
  10. LastOnePicked
    It is a fair question and a good question. I think for some of us, we know what it's been like to work for an inspirational leader, and also what it's like to work for an ineffective leader. And make no mistake - the MLB manager is a leadership position. A robot could write out a lineup card. AI could map out your bullpen usage. A manager should have skills in communicating with supremely talented human beings, identifying their blind spots, elevating their skills and maximizing their chances for success. Does that describe Rocco Baldelli's work here in any way? No. Not even close. Yes, players like him. He's likable. I've worked for places where many of the employees love working for someone who will never bust their chops or challenge them. Those department, divisions and companies always fall behind the competition. Always. For some of us, Rocco isn't just caught up in the Twins' woes - he's central to the cause. And a firing would send a message that anything short of a tenacious 162+ game fight for a title won't be tolerated in Twins Territory. That would be so refreshing, and the prospects coming in might find themselves rising to meet that challenge.
  11. LastOnePicked
    Well, there you go. I mean, I don't expect much at this point, but I thought they might want to let the dust settle for a week or two, at least give the illusion that this collapse was serious enough (the second epic late-season collapse in three years, for those who may have forgotten) to warrant consideration of making a change. Nope. Same old, same old. If you were running an organization in which winning was a priority, you would never manage personnel like this. Never. By all accounts, Rocco is a fundamentally decent human being. He takes his work seriously and he conducts himself admirably. I'm glad they don't denigrate him, toss him under the bus or speak ill of him. But he is not a leader of men. His players too often struggle to live up to potential. His teams are prone to collapse and complete mental lapses on the field and on the bases. We have had plenty of time now to fully and fairly evaluate Rocco Baldelli as a manager. He's cycled through numerous rosters, been gifted payrolls and prospects far beyond anything his predecessors ever had. And he has failed to get the most of his teams, failed to get this organization to the next level. Over and over again, failure. Rocco has failed, but he will be back. Fans who would like to see a title in Minnesota probably won't be.
  12. LastOnePicked
    In recent postgame comments, Rocco defended the team and said something to the effect, "Hey, these guys didn't give up. They came to the ballpark and played every game." And I thought, who says something like this? It's their job to show up and play the games. That's the bare minimum effort required. What kind of culture would accept this as a valid defense for total collapse? "Yeah, we lost and looked like fools in the process. But come on, we still took the field and finished the game. What more do you want?" As long as this is acceptable to the owners and the fans, these kinds of failures will continue. It's why we're spending time here debating the commitment of the fanbase rather than culture of the organization. That's why loving these Twins is so difficult for some of us.
  13. LastOnePicked
    Nope. 1948. Didn't say winning, but I could have clarified. Regardless ... that's a long time.
  14. LastOnePicked
    ??? If you weren't around in '87 and '91, we were kind of the envy of MLB. We darn near made each other deaf in our inflatable stadium. We were a fanbase at least as white then, too. Maybe we all just got boring as we aged, who knows. OR ... Maybe championship runs and an owner committed to winning solves an awful lot of these "fanbase" problems. That's the answer I'm sticking with.
  15. LastOnePicked
    Honestly, I'm perplexed at how many people seem more interested in diagnosing what's wrong with the fanbase than what's wrong with the organization. This is the longest WS drought in the franchise's history. The playoff losing streak was historic. This collapse was epic. The team has faced some bad luck, sure, but they also seem to perennially struggle to put up a fight. Winning isn't priority here, and that's abundantly clear both on the field and off. Over time, that just wears out the faithful. Believers are punished and skeptics are rewarded. As Gleeman points out, "you get the audience you deserve." As for me, I have loved the Twins. I try to love the Twins. But it's often embarrassing and maddening to love the Twins. The loyalty isn't rewarded. And though I think your allegory about family is sweet, to me it's also ridiculous. My daughter screws up, I stick with her. My Dad makes some bad decisions, I keep helping. But blind loyalty to a corporate-owned professional sports team? Come on. Maybe it's Midwestern culture that has German and Swedish roots, but that's completely silly. To me, at least. Try to show up at the Pohlad's door to talk passionately about the Twins - any illusions about "family" will quickly be dispelled. But a good article regardless. And it is clearer and clearer to me that I don't love this team anymore, and I should probably just leave it to the folks who do.
  16. LastOnePicked
    Just so it's clear, I'm not trying to persuade anyone. I popped back on, added my two cents, expressed my regrets to other fans. It wouldn't sting if I didn't care, and even just watching Gameday last night stung. Sorry my post inflamed - wasn't the intent. I get a kick out the wagon-circling, though. I wish this team could reward your loyalty. I wish the Pohlads had tried to build on last year, when disgruntled skeptics like me had to at least consider the possibility that curses could be broken and that championships could be won. My father taught me to be loyal to my country, my faith and my family. But a ballclub run by a billionaire family? I can probably cut my losses. For those of you who don't, good for you. Make that choice.
  17. LastOnePicked
    And you're making yours as well, my friend. Enjoy.
  18. LastOnePicked
    I don't know if they're evil or not. It's hard to judge what's in another person's heart. I suspect it's just more a product of living lives that are fundamentally different and detached from ours. And sometimes even just indifference is bad enough. Ownership here doesn't care about winning. This season has made that fundamentally clear. The Twins are a status accessory for the Pohlads, something that opens doors to deals and keeps them in rarified air. For me, it's still the time I spent with my Dad in 1987 and 1991. It's in my blood. It's a part of who we are together. It's part of what it means to me to be Minnesotan. But I gotta admit, that's fading fast. And it's not even so much the losing. Teams lose big games. Heartbreak is a part of baseball, and a huge part of smaller-market baseball. I get that. What I can't stand is an nearly endless cycle of incompetence and excuses. The Twins are not a serious team. They do not rise to face a challenge. They do not develop championship-caliber players. Honestly, the only things I missed were the articles and comments here and the Gleeman/Bonnes banter. Otherwise, my blood pressure really, really enjoyed taking a long break from Twins baseball. I suspect the next break will be longer.
  19. LastOnePicked
    Basically, since the Twins hosted the Yankees in mid-May, I checked out. I didn't follow the Twins even a bit. No box scores, no standings, no Twins Daily, no Gleeman and the Geek, nothing. It's actually surprisingly easy to forget this team exists when you don't make a point to follow them. On Sunday, I checked back in. Based on a few things I overheard over the summer, my guess was that they were at least in Wild Card contention. And I guess they were, kinda. Here's what I want to say to those who were here the whole time: I'm sorry. You deserve better. We all deserve better. And if this organizational incompetence is too much for you, if you want to finally break away, it is possible for months at a time, maybe even a whole season. I'm not a betting man, but based on what I've read and seen just this week, the future of this organization is not what one could call bright. This is a slow team with undisciplined young players and very little direction or fire. Sounds like the farm system isn't in great shape, either. And while I used to push for a rebuild, I don't think I care enough at this point. I'm just planning on enjoying another Twins-free summer next year. Feel free to join me.
  20. LastOnePicked
    I thought it would take 3 months to come back from an 8 game deficit. Twins did it in 3 weeks. I was wrong. I'd love to keep being wrong about this season.
  21. LastOnePicked
    Is it just me, of is this team kinda fun to follow since late April?
  22. LastOnePicked
    Season over. Again. Kidding. Try to win or split every series, fellas. Build on the momentum of the last few weeks.
  23. LastOnePicked
    If only Channel 9 were still around and the Twins were on TV every night. What a wonderful streak. Sure, it started against the dregs, but confidence has been built, and a little swagger matters.
  24. LastOnePicked
    It is possible ... ... that I was wrong two weeks ago about the season being over.
  25. LastOnePicked
    I can't even imagine how difficult it is to play at the MLB level. And then to struggle as a young player, to deal with injuries, and then to bounce back and put yourself right back into contention for a starting role? I have a ton of respect for Miranda and his early returns this year.
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