B Richard

No. Hitters change their approach at the plate all the time based on situation, whether it's getting a ball to the outfield for a sac-fly, grounding out to the right side of the infield to advance the runner, or even doing something as simple as making their swing more compact with 2 strikes. What level did you stop playing ball? I personally didn't mind Mauer staying within himself and having a positive AB, especially considering the pitches he was given.

Forbes estimates are often nowhere close to what the actual franchise is worth, namely because they don't have access to the kind of inside information needed to make an accurate valuation. To those on the inside, Forbes' numbers are just a big joke. No one takes them seriously. Valuations go far, far deeper than just fanbase size or geographic reach and often include the marketability of surrounding properties as well as the timing of the TV contract/lease agreement with for the stadium, if there is one. The Dodgers sold for $2B for these reasons, along with others. Sports franchises, unlike many other commodities, almost always inrease in value over time. This, along with their limited availability and allure, leads many prospective buyers to "overpay" for a franchise. It's all a crapshoot, but I'd speculate the Twins are worth a fair amount more than the Padres because of the quality of the Twins' market. I do believe the Padres aren't far off from the lowely Rays in terms of lacking fan avidity and brand loyalty. The Twins got hosed a little a bit in their last TV negotiation, but whenever that contract ends I'd expect the Twins to command more unless we are absolutely not competitive.

I absolutely loathe Mccarver and his ridiculous comments and assertions. I can't remember if it was him or Joe Buck, but one of the two made some wise crack about Roberto Clemente just deciding to "quit" at 3000 hits, seemingly unaware of his tragedy.

I hope Strasburg doesn't have to work around an innings limit next season. It's understandable this year coming off TJ surgery, but the general trend of babying pitchers with no injury history really grinds me. With that said, if the Nats want a pennant, Strasburg throws 200+ innings next year.

IMHO we could use that SKILL more. IMHO I'll take both. /thread

The Nolan Ryan fight video? Was there something at the end that I missed? Apologies. The audio was a bit... colorful. I'm pulling my hair out because I can't find a video for it, but the '92 clubhouse fight between Lou Piniella and Rob Dibble is priceless, especially when Sweet Lou shouts "You don't want to be treated like a man." Gets me every time

Let's be clear: Great American Ballpark is named for Great American Insurance Company which bought the naming rights. When they change advertising agencies, it could be re-named Plastic Trader Recycling Field. Ah, alas, I did not realize. Fantastic branding though, no matter which way you slice it. It's still my favorite name in the abstract, however.

---This. You know what wins games? Good starting pitching. Guys like Brian Duensing, Boof Bonser and Nick Blackburn may be good enough to get you wins against Kansas City in June. But when that's who you're counting on to beat teams like the Yankees in October, sorry, not happening. All this stuff about the Yankees being in Gardenhire's head is just nonsense. I suppose the Giants won it all in 2010 because of Bruce Bochy's steely nature in the playoffs, not because they had a starting rotation full of aces. I didn't see anyone on this thread say that attitude ALONE would make the difference. The REAL QUESTION is whether the Twins could win in the playoffs EVEN WITH power pitching if there isn't ALSO an attitude adjustment. A lot of us appear to believe that the Twins problems in the playoffs go beyond power pitching (or even power pitching and power hitting). I'm happy at least someone gets it. It was never suggested that an attitude adjustment alone was the remedy, but I guess it's easier for some to jump to conclusions. It's certainly the central theme of your post, one followed up on by a few others. It's that part I'm addressing. Absolutely not, I thought it was clear from the outset that my musings were merely qualitative in nature. We could all come up with far more tangible ways the Twins could improve, but I just wanted to step back and touch on something I thought others might find interesting. I'm slightly surprised with some of the forthcoming responses from this community

Sometimes it's best to read the original post in its entirety. I'm not specifically complaining about Mauer, nor am I advocating that everyone argue calls ad absurdum. The core of my post, what I was attempting to elucidate for everyone, was that in recent years the Twins have seemingly lacked a winning attitude/ mental approach. It was almost as if there just wasn't the fire. It would be easy to confuse my point and believe I'm suggesting that "attitude" is the only thing wrong with the Twins now. Far from it, quite obviously. I strongly believe in statistics, but to suggest to that the best teams on paper always win is downright foolish.

---This. You know what wins games? Good starting pitching. Guys like Brian Duensing, Boof Bonser and Nick Blackburn may be good enough to get you wins against Kansas City in June. But when that's who you're counting on to beat teams like the Yankees in October, sorry, not happening. All this stuff about the Yankees being in Gardenhire's head is just nonsense. I suppose the Giants won it all in 2010 because of Bruce Bochy's steely nature in the playoffs, not because they had a starting rotation full of aces. I didn't see anyone on this thread say that attitude ALONE would make the difference. The REAL QUESTION is whether the Twins could win in the playoffs EVEN WITH power pitching if there isn't ALSO an attitude adjustment. A lot of us appear to believe that the Twins problems in the playoffs go beyond power pitching (or even power pitching and power hitting). I'm happy at least someone gets it. It was never suggested that an attitude adjustment alone was the remedy, but I guess it's easier for some to jump to conclusions.

Any player that's showed a "spark" in the past has been shipped outta town for not falling into lines of "Twins Baseball" My thought being maybe it would benefit the organization to slightly change its philosophy

Do nice guys always finish last? It goes without saying that the Twins have experienced success in the last decade or so. Sure, no rings, but 6 division titles in the last 10 years isn't anything to scoff at. As I'm sure all of you remember, however, the Twins always failed to string wins together, losing their last 5 ALDS appearances by a collective (2-15). Ouch. That actually hurt to type. 4 out of the 5 appearances the Twins fell to the Yankees in brutal fashion, again as I'm sure everyone here is aware. The Yankees always seemed to have the Twins number, throttling our poor Twinkies even during the regular season. I'm sure we could all agree the Twins' biggest "nemesis" over the past decade has been the Yanks. Why? I'm sure countless statistical studies could be undertaken to get to the bottom of this, as well as the simple answer "they scored more runs." I'd like to briefly explore a more qualitative than quantitative answer to this question... We all know the stereotypes associated with the Midwest- kind, neighborly, gentle people who are nice and welcoming. I myself was raised in the Midwest and am proud of where I come from. I go to school out east in Philadelphia and have encountered many people, some of whom have backwards notions about our region. I won't labor with details, but suffice it to say that I've encountered many people who thought they could walk all over me just because I hailed from the Midwest. True, the East and Midwest have different cultures. As I sat and thought about it, baseball teams have their own unique cultures as well (not necessarily mirroring their respective regions). The Twins have their own culture. We embrace control pitchers over swing and miss guys. Joe Mauer is a homegrown guy who is married to his high school sweetheart. The Twins aren't about flash. Over the last decade, our payroll has been traditionally in the lower half of the league. The Yankees hit homeruns. They are dangerous and flashy. Derek Jeter leaves one night stands with gift baskets of signed memorabilia (no really, google it). The Yankees strike hitters out. They land big free agents. The Yankees are like that girl at the bar with dark features and a voluptuous frame you would love to... er, spend the night with. The Twins are like that quiet and wholesome girl with true understated beauty you've known for years and would consider marrying. Each has its merits. Do nice guys (or girls) always lose to the Yankees in the ALDS? I appreciate the Twins culture for what it is, but I would personally like to see a change in culture. No, I'm not calling for a Red Sox-esque beer and chicken approach, nor am I calling for the Twins to welcome convicts and bad attitudes to the team. The Twins culture needs some fire from its players rather than just its manager. It's hard to articulate exactly what I want, but I just wish the Twins had some swagger. Let's see some guys get tossed every once in awhile for arguing calls (not in a Brett Lawrie like fashion though). Let's see some strikeouts. Let's see some attitude. I love the Twins for what they are, but I can't help yearning for that mysterious element that the Yankees have shown over the past ALDSes against us. Maybe I'm wrong, but a shift in culture could inject new life into an organization that hasn't cracked the ALCS in some time. What are your thoughts? Feel free share your ideas, even if you do think I'm absolutely wrong. It wouldn't be the first time... Thanks

I don't think diamond cracks the top five, not that he doesn't deserve it though. Going into the year guys like Cespedes Darvish and Trout were all highly-touted. Up to now they have all performed well (in the case of Trout, phenomenally). At the outset of the season, there was little speculation about Diamond or his impact for the Twins outside of the immediate Twins fanbase. I expect sexy/big name guys such as Darvish Moore Cespedes and Middlebrooks if he recovers well to overshadow Diamond's bid with Trout winning it all, of course. Diamond deserves more attention than he is getting, but alas, like many great players outside the Eastern Time Zone he won't get the recognition he deserves.

What strikes me is the cost of selling the name. The teams lose brand value. The Yankees will never sell naming rights to Yankee Stadium because it would lessen their own brand. Non-team name fields names can have brand power: note Fenway, Wrigley and, even, Camden Yards. You will not get that with corporate-purchased names because they will change when a new advertiser is found or the company is bought or merges with another. I think this name-selling will go away as teams realize this. It will be like the multi-purpose, artificial-turf, cookie-cutter stadiums of the 60's and 70's. They seemed like a good idea at the time but were completely ridiculous a generation later. Very well said- there's huge money in selling naming rights, but some teams can afford not to and avoid "cheapening" their brand. I would point out though that Wrigley Field still shares a name with a "corporation" or brand. Still, its longevity lends it the same allure associated with Fenway. For best park name, I'd probably give it to Great American Ballpark. It's simple yet grand and old-timey. Worst park name would go to... man it's a tie between U.S. Cellular and Petco, I thoroughly dislike both names and their "feels"... nice post, inspired me to reply