Kwak

What did Molitor (and staff) do to completely turn the team around after those three losses in NY? That took some managing. I fully expected the Twins to implode after that series--and lo and behold six straight wins and brought the Twins into serious contention. This team doesn't win on talent/skill, it wins on grit and determination--qualities that were not displayed under Gardenhire. Molitor is a good manager, and deserves a great deal of credit for the change in the team. The comment about Sano [being managed by Molitor?] Sano wasn't present for May when the this season was redefined from losing to winning.

For all of those advocating throwing at Ramirez (or anyone else) you should consider that there will be a retaliation. At this point of the season Cleveland has nothing to lose if punished by MLB, but the Twins can ill-afford to have an injured player (likely a regular) or a suspended pitcher. Most likely the next Twins loss effectively ends their season. The risk isn't worth the "reward".

Or did the Twins notice that CLEV is LHH dominant and that matching Milhone vs CLEV might turn out out considerably better than using Hughes?

Apparently he wasn't injured.

Actually, it's the Indians. The Twins have no impact on the Angels (and vice versa) but Cleveland does! These games will also serve as statement games for the future.

The premise of this entire discussion is based on "innings limitation theory". That somehow +20% increase is a sacred number. Medical study supporting this? No. It's a self-imposed limitation that [likely] was used to convinced ownership that management will "protect their investment" in pitchers by limiting innings. Unfortunately sports medicine has not progressed to the point of "injury prediction" to lend any more credibility than simply "less use, less risk"--hence the religious adherence to 100 pitch limits--and "innings use increase limitation.". Sadly, pitchers still get injured and owners stuck paying them to recover from them.

If Tonkin was inserted in the 7th inning--and he "melts down", would the same vitriol have been posted? I think so. The key decision is: selecting the guy who will succeed as opposed to selecting the pitcher most likely to succeed. In short, hindsight is 20/20 and foresight is a complete fog.

Whoa! Perkins enters with a four-run lead, gets two outs, but serves-up a two-run HR and panic ensues? Perk has often closed games with a lead, gets scored-on yet still "nails-it down". That's the important point--closing it out. 1-2-3 innings are great! Especially on six pitches, but the assignment is "close it out", not make it look easy. Perhaps the Twins will change ( ) to closer by whose turn it is, rather than using only one guy.

The Twins showed that it was more important for their Chattanooga affiliate to win their league that for the Twins to advance to the playoffs. I'm all for good relations with the Minor League teams, but... . There was a "Ryan quote" in the Strib last week that dealt with the disparity of September promotions between the Twins and the Angels. The Angels had expanded their "roster" to 37--and Ryan deemed that a bit much. The quote included "...earned", and "...service time considerations". Kepler is a bit different than most, because he is permitted four options rather than the usual three. However, it sure looks like he won't need all of them--and one was already used for 2015 anyway--so "promoting him" only cost the Twins a few thousand dollars. That's only a few less limestone bricks in the never-ending program of fan-enhancements in Target Field.

"Everybody wins 50, everybody loses 50, it's what you do with the rest of them that decides your season". It isn't clear if this was one of the 50 losses, or one of the 62 that is fought over. Starting Hughes tonight with virtually no activity was asking for it--and that decision should be one of the five "plays" that determined the outcome. I disagree with the five selected--and their assigned weights. DET's fifth run has to be one of the five. Sano's 9th inning strikeout--I don't think that belongs. The first two outs made were likely more important in determining the final score.

Of course!

I nominate the author for the 2015 Don Quixote Award.

No, they don't the "better" team just matches the offer--and the player signs. It's not like an auction, the player weighs in "other" factors: the team, the location, outside income, "fitting in", etc. Consider Mauer, he "always wanted to be a Minnesota Twin", his hometown team. Do you really think an extra million would sway him to Boston, CA, NY, or PHL ? I don't. Perkins is likewise. he could have 'shopped-around" especially considering that it would have easy for him to perceive he was screwed by the Twins--he didn't. An extra million might have worked on Perkins contract, but at Joe's $23MM/ year--not a chance. The type of pitcher discussed--"top shelf", "ace", #1, whatever would be priced around Mauer annual salary. An extra MM is chump change when comparing a WS contender and the Twins.

You assume said "ace" would sign with the Twins. Why would he sign? The Twins were awful and were among the most unlikely teams to be in post-season play. The Twins also have a history of "Not spending to add that extra player" to truly make the team a WS contender. That's why the Twins were forced to sign "middle talent" and "lesser talent" veterans.

The reasons that Hughes, Nolasco, Pelfrey, and Santana were signed was that the Twins did not provide (develop) ML-quality pitchers from their organization and Ryan's dumpster-diving (Diamond, Albers, Deduno, DeVries, etc. were failures and that Ryan and the rest of the Front Office constantly put the blame of losing on the failure of the starting rotation. Fans, advertisers, broadcasters, and other stakeholders complained long and loud enough to convince Executive Management to spend money to a provide ML-quality rotation. Given the constraints of budget, the willingness of "top" pitchers to sign with Minnesota (or not sign), those four were signed to be the backbone of the rotation (Hughes, Nolasco, Pelfrey, and Santana). Why wasn't the Twins organization successful at producing ML-quality starting pitchers? Many threads and beaucoup posts have been made on that subject. There is no need for repeating them here. The posts that "over-priced veterans" are blocking superior pitchers is "beer-talk".

Starting May wasn't the problem! Please recall that May was barely used as a RP anyway. Molitor uses the pen very much like Gardenhire--abuses it! Fans really don't notice the incessant use of 4,5, and even more pitchers to win--especially home games--early in the season. It simply appears as if everybody (manager too!) is just doing their job. But no, they are not! Pitch count is still worshiped. "Getting the right match-up" in the late innings is the norm. Why? Because the pitcher tasked either isn't very good or because the manager just loves playing "chess" on the diamond. Compare the two teams in the two games. NYY: sailing along in game 1 (after what had to have been a gut-wrenching series vs. Toronto) until their SP is injured and replaced in the second inning. Yikes!! Sure as snuff, their bullpen got lit-up because they had to use marginal, and perhaps over-used RPs. But, here's a difference--Betances (their "8th inning guy") pitched 2+ innings! NYY "needed someone to step-up" and so Betances was tasked. Would the Twins use their "8th inning guy" for 2+ innings? No. Game two: NYY's BP is weakened, but the Twins batters are swinging away at near anything. NYY's batters are patient, taking pitches, and making Pelfrey "work". Pelfrey gets into trouble in the 6th, and what happens? Darn Pelfrey has thrown 103 pitches, he's "in trouble"--so summon the BP. What?? This (purportedly) BP has come in the 6th? Can't pelfrey "step-up" and pitch 110-120 pitches to finish the 6th? Or, even 135 to go 7 innings? Nope, the Twins worship their pitch-count managing and RP's be damned.

The thread says "bad contracts", the posts say "bad players". Those are different items. FWIW, I think Nolaco will make a "Pelfrey-like" comeback/turnaround next season. Santana will... (get better at drugs?) improve a bit. All would benefit from some serious PT before and during the season so they don't tire so much.

Amen! Some posters "selected" Arcia as "their hero" a couple of years ago--and they are reluctant to admit a mistake. The passion for Arcia explains why "super hero" movies sell so many tickets.

Arcia is not the second best power hitter. Clearly Sano and Dozier are the top two. Arcia can't even crack the Active Roster! Best DH option? No. Arcia is the sort of hitter who has a brief scorching hot streak followed by a lengthy, ice cold slump. Vargas is probably better than Arcia as a pure DH--he is not hopeless when required to bat on his "weaker" side. Where is Plouffe in your scenario? He plays someplace--and is a better option than Arcia. Then, there's Mauer--he will play somewhere. True, Mauer will never be a power hitter. Nor will he ever be worth his contract--but Mauer will get paid and will hit more consistently than Arcia--just not at at a $23MM level (or even close). Are there power hitters available on the open market? Yes, and much better ones than Arcia.

Or, #6: Got passed by younger men who have "played a 'better' game". Hicks has developed into (almost) the guy the Twins thought they drafted--he is a ML player. Rosario has also "brought a better game" than Arcia. Hunter has been what the Twins wanted him to be (except he needs considerable rest). Buxton is still the Twins #1 prospect--and there is an OF spot waiting for him (whenever he "seizes it"). Others have shown that they have (or at least may have) ML stamped on their forehead. In short, Arcia got "squeezed-out" by others. The start of Arcia's Rochester rehab went well--but he wasn't promoted like before--Arcia learned he was no longer "anointed" and is now "sulking" (Reason #2). Reasons #3 may be due to his "weaknesses" have been exposed even at the AAA level. I think Arcia perceived all he had to do was "mash" some HRs and he's on his way to "Millionaire Acres"--he has found out otherwise, and hasn't adjusted to a "new reality". I expect his future is not in a Minnesota Twins uniform. Don't cry "Masher Fans", the Twins have better options in the OF than Arcia.

Post-season play a prerequisite for success? Of course Not--if this was April! It's August now, and it appears that post-season play is "a bridge too far". But was it really? I don't think it was given the situation at the ASB. Why weren't there plenty of "good" options for the bullpen? The Twins draft RPs every year, and sign several more candidates every off-season. The BP should have been a strength for the Twins--not a bleeding ulcer. The Twins have preached (and lived!) a policy of "no walks" by the pitching staff. Yet, the hitters are very free-swinging and pull-oriented, more HRs at the expense of OBP. I like HRs too, but a hitter has to balance his abilities and the situation's needs. There aren't very many Twins that have a "power-hitter's body"--yet most of them act as if they do! Why hasn't management stepped-in to change attitudes? In fact, it looks as if management is actively championing the "big fly" given its rewards to Plouffe and Dozier (and I should include Hunter!).

Yes, it does. Compare Cleveland's "young players" and Minnesota's "young players"--who played like professional BB players and who was "posing"?

As the article states (and I agree)--it's not just one or two, or just the bullpen, or all of the pitchers--the problem is pretty much the whole team. Some have posted that Mauer is the #1 problem--NO! Mauer is one problem, but not the #1 problem. Examine the W/L records of the years 2011 to present. Basically pre-ASG the record is below par (exception: this season) and then things go South fast. Why?--That is the #1 problem. Character has to be an issue. Compare to Cleveland, they made major trades--SELLS, and replaced with young guys. Most of those guys hit like the CLE team of the 90's, Why the difference? Some very alarming statistics were in the article--but an explanation really was not provided. In today's and last night's game I noticed Mauer swinging on a 2-0 count when the Twins were way behind. I often notice Dozier fist pitch swinging--even when the team is way behind. True, recovering from big deficits rarely happens--but CLE didn't quite Friday. Give up a six-run inning, and your're a last place team--yet in three innings they are sporting a two-run lead! They didn't quit--and yet they know they are not going to the playoffs. Compare to the Twins' "efforts" Saturday and Sunday--huge difference. Fix the attitude problem or else!

TG the Twins never have to dump salary to obtain "prospects".

Acquiring Jepsen is better than nothing. It wasn't enough! Will the Twins have a bullpen problem next year? Of course they will! Obtaining multiple options for the pen was needed--but didn't happen. It's as if Ryan made the Jepsen trade ..."and called it Macaroni." More help is required.