Seth Stohs

A lot of information can be learned by watching, listening, reading and diving head-first into the great game... but I often wonder if people truly understand how difficult the game is, if they wonder how good even the worst major leaguers are. yes, Drew Butera would hit .500 in your local amateur beer-league. I was one of those typical high school players. I was on varsity for four years, hit over .400 each year. And went to a D3 college where I played my first two years. I was devastated when I was asked to play JV my first year of college and dress on the varsity. The second year, I was on the varsity, but did play some on the JV too. I got 15 plate appearances on the varsity over those two years. As many know, I basically backed up Chris Coste, who went on to play in the big leagues for 3-4 years with Philly and Houston. I thought I was good, and then realized that I wasn't even good enough for D3, which makes me wonder just how good a guy like AJ Pettersen is to get to play for 3 years at a D1 school like U of Minnesota, and then how good do you have to be to be drafted and get to play pro ball. How good are the players at Low A, much less High A? If you get to AA, you're incredible, and if you get even a cup of coffee with the big leagues, you're one of the top 1% of baseball players ever. So then, how good do you have to be to be a big league regular, or an All-Star, and finally, how good do you have to be to be in the Hall of Fame? I think having played (I played SS, 3B. I pitched quite a bit through high school, and then later did a lot of catching in amateur ball and that was like a whole new appreciation for the sport), maybe I have a bit more of a sensitivity for how hard this game is than some (and I don't mean that judgmentally). When I hear that people think that it would be no problem for Joe Mauer to move to 3B, I just shake my head. When I hear that 3B should be easy for Trevor Plouffe because he played some much SS, I wonder if people realize just how different the positions are in terms of reaction time, range needed, etc.). And it just bugs me to no end when I hear things about how "horrible" guys like Pedro Florimon or Drew Butera are. I guess the other thing that playing at some of the post-little league or youth leagues has taught me that I think is often missed are the intangibles. I don't think they're the be all, end all, by any means, but I do know that they are very important on a team, or in a team concept. When I sat the bench in college a lot and kept book, I learned the game on a whole new level from when I was playing all the time. Looking at the big picture is eye opening. (That's why I don't think that great players often make great managers or coaches) There is a value in leadership. There is a value in guys that just get the job done. There a value in consistency. There is a value in knowing which players practice the hardest. There is a value in which bench guys handle that the best. Sorry about the soap box, I will now step down.

Correct, and if that scenario plays out, no one should expect that Clement will put up the same numbers in the regular season, but he may be an acceptable bench bat. Listen, it has played out time and again that spring training statistics are meaningless. They're meaningless for all the guys who have a certain roster spot. I mean, Joe Mauer could go 0-50 this spring, and he's still going to make the team. The numbers (along with the things we can't see like the quality of swings, the practice efforts, the attitude and all that) matter for guys trying to make a final roster spot or trying to make an impression on the coaching and front office staff. If someone gets hurt early in the regular season and they need someone to call up, making a strong spring impression might be enough to get you a call up. Do you think Chris Colabello or James Beresford and Anthony Slama don't want to make an impression. One way to do that is to put up numbers when given the opportunity. As with Maloney and Jeff Gray last year, being on the 40 man roster has a lot more to do with making the Opening Day roster than any of the stats people put up.

I'm 100% comfortable with Mauer's comments... he doesn't like losing. he wants to win. He wants to get back to the playoffs because you can't win a World Series title without going to the playoffs. Anyone who reads any more into those quotes is definitely over-thinking and simply has an agenda... And, thank you to "old nurse" for finding that other quote because it resulted in positive things!

I think that the bloggers understand that spring training stats don't have anything to do with what happens in the regular season. That said, the Opening Day roster can be somewhat affected by them. So, I think it's more than fair to talk and write about them. It isn't to say that anyone thinks that they're meaningful, but we do want to write about who will/should make the roster, and it's one factor in how that is determined.

Here's a great comment that verifies the definition of Pitch to Contact...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/sports/baseball/twins-terry-ryan-looks-to-recapture-past-success.html?smid=tw-nytimessports&seid=auto A terrific article on Terry Ryan from Tyler Kepner of the NY Times.

I can pretty much guarantee that Oswaldo Arcia will not be the bench bat. He needs to play!

That's a great question, Leviathan! And, I don't know if there is really an answer to that... However, when I went to Beloit the first time 3 years ago... I saw James Beresford control the infield. He was playing second base that particular day. He was clearly the leader in that infield. And again, it wasn't yelling. It wasn't being loud. It was just very clear. He went in to talk to the pitcher a couple of times. He was seeing something. I remember immediately after that, the pitcher got a double play, and walking off the field, the pitcher went over and thanked Beresford. That's one example of something that can't really be explained very clearly, but when you see it, you just can tell.

Pretty sure we knew that already, didn't we?

Good point. I am very comfortable with where they have Arcia. I'm really high on him, but I don't know that he should be any higher than he is.

Right, but he's not going to leave the Phillies organization knowing the Manuel isn't going to be there very long.

The Cubs didn't even want to hire him as their manager... although he's been an OK manager in the minors and certainly has the HOF status that so many seem to think is important. I also get the "go outside the organization" mentality, and I get that... but that isn't going to change the culture. Only way the culture changes is if everyone from Terry Ryan to Mike Radcliff to the manager to the minor league staffs get changed, which I know many reading think should happen, but it won't. That's also not the topic of this forum.

Again, this is another good argument, but there are always counter-examples to this. Dean Smith at UNC, Coach K at Duke. Tony LaRussa in St. Louis. Joe Torre with the Yankees. Bruce Bochy with the Giants. In general though, I think this is a fair argument too. I just think that if you have a young team, why would they be "tuning out" the manager? They're trying to make their way in the big leagues. They certainly are going to listen to the manager and his coaching staff.

I think that is a very valid reason, but again, who is brought in (or in the Twins case, brought up?)? Why? Is it Molitor, who has no record of success as a coach and no managerial success at any level? (worked with Robin Ventura, who hadn't even coached) Is it someone like Jake Mauer who all of the young players respect and admire? Is it someone like Mientkiewicz? Would they dare hire Jeff Smith (who the players can't stand)? Gene Glynn is known as a great talent evaluator, so does he serve the organization better managing in Rochester, or up in the big leagues? If winning is what people want to evaluate managers by, why not hire Ray Smith from Elizabethton?

Someone would have to study that and even determine what that means... their 'little' guys haven't bunted well. They don't always run the bases real well. Defense has been down the last several years, but that's certainly the players... So, I dont know if it's true or not.

Another fair point, but obvously the manager is a part of every team, and they are paid well... that said, 1st year managers generally make less than league minimum, and even Gardy making a couple million is not that big compared to the players who have more than 3-5 years of experience.

Good list, and obviously there have been many more over the years as well. And, I'm sure the opposite can be said. I like Gardy. I think he's done a terrific job as the Twins manager. I'm not against them going a different direction, but I would caution those that think that is the answer to all the questions, I think they'd be disappointed. I certainly haven't agreed with everything Gardy has done during his years. But, my main point is that I don't think it's fair, or right, to solely judge his managerial abilities and whether or not he should retain his job by looking at wins and losses. So, that's my question, what are those factors for others that should determine it? MWW makes a good note that they haven't done a lot of the little things well, but I would also say that I don't think they practice them any less than they did when TK was around, so I don't know what the reasoning is.

I would say that managers get too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when a team loses. In reality, if another manager had the exact same roster that they've had the last two years, and all the same other issues, how many more games would the Twins have won. Likewise, if there was another manager through the good years, would they really have won (or lost) any more games? It definitely goes both ways. I've read people say that they think that the Twins have gotten "stale" in recent years... and I guess I don't know what to think about that comment. Will a new voice make the players better and hence not look stale? Would you hire a manager who yells more than Gardenhire? (Cuz he does quite a bit) Or would you want a manager that is more laid back and quiet? I guess maybe that's part of my question... what type of manager would you want to come in here? And, why would that make the Twins successful right away?

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1395-Big-Year-for-the-Manager

One of the bigger storylines of the offseason was the future of Ron Gardenhire as manager of the Minnesota Twins. Most years throughout his tenure, he signed a two-year extension before he got to the final year of his contract. However, after last season, Gardenhire did not receive an extension, so he is in the last year of his deal. On its own, that means very little. I mean, Terry Ryan could still choose to extend him any time during the season or following the season. Unfortunately, Gardenhire has been the man in charge on the field where the Twins have lost 195 games over the past two seasons. As you recall, last year, three of his coaches were not brought back for the 2013 season. Although Gardenhire is the same manager that won one AL Manager of the Year award and finished second in voting five other times, the on-field results have not been there the past two seasons. He has been at his best as a manager when expectations were low. He is beloved by his players. Unlike his predecessor, Gardenhire is willing to get thrown out of a ball game to back his players. Like his predecessor, he wants the little things to be done right and well, even though his players have frequently not been able to do those things well. Those who don’t like Gardenhire as manager will choose to bring up several topics as well. Many will tell you that he hasn’t won in the playoffs, an argument that can’t really be disputed at this point. Some will say that he can be tough on rookies, but he isn’t as hard on them as Tom Kelly was. Some will focus on his lineup construction, although that is something that likely every fan base complains about their manager. Some talk about how he uses his bullpen, but most in the industry say that he and Rick Anderson handle their bullpen as well as any. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3311[/ATTACH] With Ron Gardenhire in the final year of a contract with a roster that Las Vegas thinks will lose 95 games again in 2013, what does he have to do to maintain his job throughout the season and beyond? For what it’s worth, Gardenhire says that he isn’t spending much time thinking about it. At Twins Fest, the manager told reporters, “I don’t even worry about that. Really, I don’t. It’s only talked about because that’s the way the business goes. I really manage, what is this 11 going on 12 years? I think my predecessor went one year at a time. I don’t think he ever signed more than a one year deal. You know what, I really don’t have a problem with it at all. It’s just the way it is. I laugh about it. I kid about it. You know what, you should be held accountable year by year. I have no problem with that. I’ll go about my business. It’s not going to change what I do.” Gardy may not think about it, but unfortunately Terry Ryan likely will. And, we know that Twins fans will as well. So again, what will be the determining factors in the decision to bring back Gardenhire, or not? Here are some ways to look at it. There may be more. WINS/LOSSES Some may simply look at the Win-Loss record and determine whether or not he comes back. However, this is not a case of looking for a certain number. As mentioned, the team has lost 195 games over the last two seasons. To expect them to suddenly win 85 to 95 games is just not very realistic. So, is there a win total that would mean you would keep him? Is it 81? Is it 75? COMPETITIVENESS I think that it should depend upon many more factors than just the Win-Loss record. Would you be willing to accept a lower number if various players are hurt? Maybe you just expect them to be competitive until mid-July? At that point, the Twins could decide to trade some veterans and go with younger players. Is it fair to expect that younger team to continue to win at the same level? How about just being more competitive from game to game? How many times in the last two seasons have the Twins been behind by four or more runs after the first couple of innings? But, depending upon who Gardenhire is able to put on the mound each day, he has little ability to control the results. IMPROVEMENT I think it’s important to see improvement from year to year, and even from month to month. A manager can try to motivate young players or struggling players. Of course, the player is the one who has to develop and perform. However, I would like to see guys like Liam Hendriks and Brian Dozier take a step forward in their careers in 2013. Both struggled in 2012, and both do have the talent to be solid big leaguers. That’s not to say that those are the two players who should determine Gardenhire’s future. Others will need to improve as well. Also, it will be important to see the team as a whole play better from month to month throughout the season. Again, that may or may not be measured by wins. HANDLING OF YOUNG PLAYERS It is likely that rookies such as Aaron Hicks, Kyle Gibson, Oswaldo Arcia and maybe others will debut in 2013. How will Gardy deal with them through the good times and the bad? In speaking out Aaron Hicks at Twins Fest, Gardenhire said, “I think one thing I know how to do is make these guys relax a little. Try to keep it as light as we possibly can. There’s a stress out there that I can’t control, and that’s him trying to make this baseball team. I can control how he handles himself, and I can try to keep him as relaxed as much as I possibly can with the rest of our staff and not put too much pressure on him.” This speaks beyond rookies though. It speaks to other young players, like Dozier, Hendriks, Darin Mastroianni, Joe Benson, Cole De Vries, Chris Parmelee and even Trevor Plouffe. How will their successes and their adversities be handled, and how will that be judged? INJURIES Let’s face it, the Twins roster, particularly the pitching staff, has a lot of question marks tied to health that will affect the 2013 season. Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey are returning from Tommy John surgery. Scot Diamond may not be ready for Opening Day due to removing bone chips from his elbow. Liam Hendriks had the same surgery in October, and Vance Worley had it in August. Other pitchers could get hurt throughout the season. The hitters sound like they are at 100%, but Morneau has missed a lot of time the last couple of years. Josh Willingham played a career high number of games in 2012. Can he stay relatively healthy in 2013? Trevor Plouffe missed a lot of time last year. And there are always unforeseen injuries. The manager can’t control those things. Players get hurt, unfortunately. How he responds publically and within the locker room to those things is important. IN-GAME DECISION-MAKING This is a category that social media have seemed to make more important. Every decision a manager (or GM, or scouting director) makes is scrutinized. If a Manager goes with his gut, rather than the book on occasion, he will be called out by some. If he always does the same thing (even if that is what the book says to do), he will be scrutinized as being too predictable. Again, every fan base’s manager will make decisions throughout the season that the fans won’t agree with. I think this is a poor reason for firing, but some fans will think it’s important. There are likely many other reasons to either fire or keep a manager around. Ron Gardenhire is the same manager that won a lot of games for this organization over the past dozen seasons. He has dealt with more injuries and lack of talent the last two seasons than in any of those previous seasons. It is clear that the Twins are building for 2014 and 2015 and beyond, so the biggest question really needs to be, Is Ron Gardenhire the right guy to have leading a young and developing roster? That’s the most difficult question to answer as well. He has had a lot of successes with young players this century. I’m sure there have been some busts as well. That’s the same with any manager or any team. It’s a tough question to answer, and at the end of the day, it will be Terry Ryan’s question to answer. Hopefully the players will stay healthy and improve and the Twins will surprise a lot of people which will make Ryan’s decision easy.

Vargas needs to be playing 1B at Ft. Myers in 2013.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Zulgad_Departure_of_good_friend_gives_Darin_Mastroianni_golden_opportunity_022013 When Ben Revere was traded, Darin Mastroianni had mixed emotions. He and Revere were very close friends, but he now has an opportunity to be the Twins starting CF. Very good story!

Ok, let's go with it, but this thread is going to be closely monitored... Ron Gardenhire led the Twins to some really terrific seasons for a decade. He is the same manager as he was at that time. Now, that's not to say that another losing season won't end his time with the Twins, but that's just the nature of the business more than saying he isn't a very good manager. He is. Terry Ryan left the job for four years and in that time, the farm system dropped off, and Bill Smith made some bad decisions. Ryan came back one offseason ago, and he learned a lot about the situation at hand in 2012. He made some terrific trades for the future of the Twins organization this offseason and added players to the system that give them hope for turning things around. He is a good baseball man who knows the game and he knows his job. He certainly has earned more than one year in his return.