LA Vikes Fan

Guys, I'm not a Rocco basher but you have to give him a significant share of the blame. The manager's job is more than game time managing, where he has been poor, it also includes getting the players ready to play with effort and putting them in the best position to succeed. Rocco simply hasn't done that this year. He's been way too dependent on prior performance in making decisions and slow to react to changes in performance. His over use of Colome when it was clear he wasn't right and his continued use of Sano when he is literally almost the the worst hitter in the American League are just a couple of examples. This team looks lifeless and tight in the clutch. The manager is responsible to keep the team loose and productive. The Twins are neither of those things. That doesn't excuse the players - they've been bad.

You're right. A team playing this bad and this far below potential is an indictment of the coaching staff AND of the players themselves.

Agreed. I'd start with the hitting staff. They haven't been able to help Sano, Polanco, Garver, Kepler, etc. get going. Come to think of it, the pitching coaches haven't done much with that bullpen either. Baldelli also can't seem to get these guys to perform. The record is a pretty overall indictment of the coaching staff from manager on down.

I agree, but not because of Sano. I think it is much more likely that Polanco flips a switch than Sano. He needs a good 2 or 3 week stint in AAA to find himself.

Get Dobnak to 80 pitches and he'll be at the "Rocco limit" for starters. He's almost there.

I would reverse the allocation between the Front Office and the manager. I do think Rocco it’s about 25% responsible for where this team is. I would give the FO 15% because they badly misjudged the bullpen talent. This team is just not ready to play every day, they’ve lost confidence, and they look tight. The manager has to take responsibility for that. Rocco also needs to get his head out of the statistics, give his starters longer leashes since the bullpen is not strong, and be less afraid to pull the plug on players like Sano who are simply not performing. Those players either need to go to AAA or the bench. I think we really miss Derek Shelton as a bench coach and I know we miss James Rowson as a hitting coach. I think it’s time to cut to the chase. The season is pretty much lost. Let’s move on from some of the fringe, under performing veterans like Jake Cave, Kyle Garlick, and Caleb Theilbar. We need to keep Colome around, find a way to give him seven to ten strong performances, and then trade his ass at the deadline to somebody desperate for relief help. Strip this club down to the players you really want to have going forward and then, instead of filling the gaps with average or mediocre veteran talent, fill it with some of the young guys out of the system and sort through who can play. Now is the time for Larnach and Thorpe instead of Cave and Shoemaker. Let’s do what we’re doing with the catching. Garver is the starter and we gave Jeffers a chance to be the second catcher. He didn’t hit and we sent him to AAA and replaced him with Rortvedt. If he doesn’t hit and Jeffers hits in AAA, switch them out until you find one that can stay at the MLB level. Do you the same thing with the relief pitching and the same thing with the fifth starter spot. Sano can’t find his stroke at the MLB level, send him to AAA, give Kirilloff the 1B Job and put Larnach in the outfield. If Kepler can’t find his stroke, make him the fourth outfielder and start playing Larnach or Rooker every day. Maybe even find some consistent at bats for Gordon or Weil. And heresy of heresies, maybe it’s time to see if there’s a market for Cruz or Donaldson that would get you a quality relief pitcher or starter with upside. Look, I’m disappointed because I thought this was a team that had a real shot. It’s becoming pretty clear even at this early stage that it just does not. I could get behind watching a developing team this year, with a decent core supplemented by young guys being groomed for the future and getting their shot. It’s hard to get behind a veteran team playing poorly with no real plans for the future. And let’s face it, that’s with this team is right now.

Is it OK to give 100% of this to the players?

I I am depressed. Who thought we’d be reading this article a month into the season?

Sign Greene. Promote Law and Smeltzer. Demote Theilbar and Waddell. IL Colome. Make Robles the closer, Rogers a fireman, Duffy and Alcala 8th inning guys. And pray.... a lot.