Kwak

An indication that the problems are systemic rather that caused by one guy (Bill Smith) or two (pitching coach).

How any years did ittake for Perkins and Nathan to become competent relief pitchers? Did they spend time in the minors in the transistion? How old were they? (Younger?) Were they paid anything close to $5 MMat the time of their conversion? Pelfrey is a one-pitch thrower. He doesn't miss many bats and he's too old to place in the minors to be retrained/requalified. Plus, there is no reason to think he would accept his change--ala` Correia. As posted earlier there is always looking for a cheap starter--so find them and make a deal. Let someone else pay to retrain Pelfrey as a relief guy.

Pelrey's 2013 stat line: TBF Hits BAVGA OBAA BB K 680 184 .300 .358 53 (7.8%) 101 (14.8%) Does this look like a candidate for the bullpen? I don't think so.

There's always someone looking for a cheap SP--find them. Cut a deal even if it involves some Twins money. Many posts have been made extolling Ryan's ability to build a bullpen--so let him! It is imperative to not dig the 2015 Twins in a hole (like just about every year) with the "April Experiments" that typify Gardenhire-teams. The rotation should be made of "starting pitchers" (which may include rookies), the bullpen with experienced relief pitchers, the OF with outfielders, the IF with infielders in their normal position, and real catchers.

"The Real Brian Dozier" is sort of like "the real Trevor Plouffe" and "the real Joe Mauer" and so on. We really need to see next season to firm up the conclusion. As a hitter, I suspect he will resemble Plouffe more than any other Twin. As a fielder, he resembles a Nick Punto but with a "better arm".

Replacing any (all) of this management team is "change for the sake of change". I find that offensive. Ignoring the fans and combining such to retain anybody runs counter to what the entertainment industry is all about (maybe all industry?). No one is going to prison or Siberia for goodness sake. I have posted many times that this team's failures is not one person's fault but rather the fault of many. Replacing one (or more people) doesn't mean those removed were "the only one's to blame." A large fire generally rejuvenates the forest (or prairie) to an even higher level ofvibrancy. Organizations have to purge themselves occasionally and since we can't turn back the clock, the best time to purge is now.

I want to hear the story told after the season is over explaining that free agent contracts for over $30MM, just for the 2014 season, were let and the end result isn't much different. Last year, Ryan "fell on the spear" stating he hadn't provided enough quality in the players for Gardy to win. So, did Ryan "fail" to improve the team, or did Gardenhire misuse what he was provided for 2014?

+1 You hit the nail on the head. The Twins spend too much time (especially playing time) trying to weave silk purse's from sows' ears.

1) Joe Mauer wasn't, isn't, nor should be considered "the straw the stirs the drink". True, if his BAVG improves 50 points the team scoring will improve. But that statement works for every position. Mauer isn't what's keeping this team from winning 90+ games--but his salary suggests that he should be! 2) Substandard defense has demonstrably hurt. But how many changes will the Twins make? Expecting Arcia to improve is wistful. Better positioning would help--but this management team has yet to tinker much with OF alignment. CF--who? We need to remove the rose-colored glasses here, none of the present candidates will defend to the level Twins fans have come to enjoy. Buxton won't be spending much (if any) time with the Twins next year. 2016, well that's not this thread. Santana is fast but doesn't have an OF "knack". Plus his throws, while strong, are far too often inaccurate. Hicks is just plain overrated. Schafer can play the field, but has no arm, and is likely the best defensive option--but will the Twin opt for defense or offense? Or perhaps neither (Hicks). Anybody would be better than Willingham. There will be improvement--but how much is TBD. A top free agent would help--but how likely is that to happen? 3) The amount of improvement to tough to gauge--it will improve but how much will depend on defensive improvement. Earlier scoring by the offense would probably help too. I don't think they will be 29th next year, but 19th is in the cards. I firmly believe that a relaxation of "the pitch count rule" will help and also help the bullpen. But can/will the Twins be flexible on this issue? 4) Probably reflects that Twins really were a weak team. Improve the team, improve the home record. 5) Fundamentals. It seems to me you really mean playing situational baseball rather than "playing to impress". Players that "feel secure" of their job (and compensation) [read veterans] are more likely to do this. Guys looking to "secure a job"--or "a big pay raise" tend to play to impress. Attitudes are difficult to control.

If they only knew what that guys name--maybe they would.

1K/inning (a very good rate!) still requires two more outs to finish an inning and nearly all of them occur on a batted-ball-in-play. Allowing a "4th out" in an inning generally leads to more scoring--it is also deflating to the pitcher. Tht "4th out" will happen, and the pitcher must learn to work through them, but if that "4th out" becomes a frequent occurance things will get ugly. It is way too early to consider Arcia a fixture in the OF, he just hasn't put up the hitting numbers that permit overlooking all of the hits/runs he allows by his "defense". He will be the starting RF next April because there isn't enough competition for a major league position right now--but that competition will soon emerge. If Sano doesn't "cut it" as a 3B (a real probability) he likely would be moved to the OF. Plus, there are OFers in the system on their way up--and very soon.

Removing infielders from the OF should help, so will the "moving on" of some Twins OFers. But, I detect too much of a "fatherly attitude" towards players ("he will make it if we just give him more time...) ignoring that there are others in the organization (not far behind) waiting for their opportunity. Management has to "cut throats" from time to time. Take Arcia, there are hitters coming up that are challenging for a major league job he can't receive the favorite son treatment for much longer. Arcia has to demonstrate that he is a keeper, and soon. Then there's the need for starting pitching... . That's why there are trades. Management can't complain about pitching while playing substandard fielders and boasting of their MiL system for long.

"... from the outside...". Absolutely!--But won't happen without a change at the very top. There is very good reason why the wins are run like a cult--the Pohlads like that system. I'm not holding my breath waithing for an explanation why, or for that matter someone from the outside. A new executive will demand control over the entire organization within the constraints of budget and cosmetic issues. I just don't see that happening.

Garver, 4th yr college and starts in very low minors? Next year Ft. Meyers? The staircase treatment really doesn't make sense.

Play to win the rest of the way--use the best line-up(s) possible. In this way, proper assessment of all personnel can be performed. Adjustments or replacements can be made on said proper assessment. It is required to know the strengths and weaknesses of the team to move forward to long term success. Playing to lose would teach nothing. Playing to win and winning would be illuminative--so would playing to win but losing!

If "Gardy's guys" have to be the sacrificial goats, I fully expect Mientkiewicz to be promoted to the Twins serving as either a base coach or the dugout coach--irrespective who is the field manager. This will fufill the "experience requirement" to become a field manager (on any team!). Jake Mauer suffers from never having been a major league player on his resume and I believe that he will never be a full-time manager of a major league team. More likely, Jake would receive some kind of a Front Office job with the Twins.

So, would "the chief spin man" seek to identify scapegoats to protect the entire organization?

Answers: a) All of them still exist. The first two are under different ownership and the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and changed their name to the Baltimore Orioles. that owner (deceased) would have accepted contraction (alledgedly) for $125MM. Or, no longer inexistence.

Are we back to this myth? This issue has been addressed several times before and doesn't need repeating. Basically Smith was "a company guy" who ran errands, wrote reports, and signed documents for the whole rest of the Front Office (that stayed after Ryan "stepped-down") and Field management (Gardenhire et al).

Let me see...the premise of this article is: "it's the coaching staff that's at fault! Or maybe only one of the coaches is the problem. Just replace that coach and everything is 'fixed'." I guess if those coaches just were as loyal as the bloggers this mess would never have happened. What was that record from August again? And wasn't this post-ASG schedule "softer"? The W/L record should have improved not regressed. Is this the coaches fault? After all this team isn't laden with no-talent boobs, nor besieged by injury to key regulars that preven the team from (at least) duplicating the win percentage from before the ASG. The lineup used is nearly totally comprised of players that were on the Active Roster in July. Weren't Santana and Vargas promoted after the ASG and didn't both of them markedly improve the team? So what gives? The coaching staff didn't have time to corrupt them yet--so they are still very productive? One would have to have blind loyalty to management to suggest that the problem was caused by one (or more) of the coaches and that all that needs to be done is to replace those "ungrateful coaches" and the Twins' problems will be fixed. The attitude that "just a tweek or two and all will be fixed" is reprehensible and runs counter to all evidence. Failure doesn't imply that any of the people involved are "bad people", it simply means that "their bit doesn't work anymore" and new people with a fresh perspective, energy, and motivation are needed.

Consider the following evidence: Twins' developed starting pitchers that were promoted to the majors. Baker, Perkins, Slowey, Blackburn, and I will include Garza. All "had a major league arm", but lacked the consistent "finish-'em-off" pitch. Each of them had "enough" of a fast-ball, but the secondary pitches really didn't make the grade to elevate these guys to "the next level". Liriano, when he camr to MN, already had his FB and slider going for him--but the Twins system was never able to build on that. Gibson wasn'r really developed by the Twins--the MiL was simply a proving ground which he zipped through until his injury. There was (still is?) a thread about Cedar Rapids being "in a bind" due to their SP reaching an innings limit--all were under 70 innings pitched! MLB SPs need to go 162 innings to "qualify". Pitchers will burn-out. But that's why teams sign so many of them every year. There is definitely a "survival of the fittest" element. But pitchers must be developed to succeed at the MLB level, not just get there.

Berrios is definitely ahead of Meyer--and likely several others. Meyer has been moved from "prospect" to "prayer" in the player rankings. If he can turn it around--great! But, pinning hopes on a shoulder-injured player who rarely pitches six innings? No, folks this guy is a prospect (at 24!) he is a prayer. I hope he makes it--but the probability as a dependible rotation guy is too long of a shot. No, I'm not advocating to "shoot this horse", but I'm not going to bet on him--nor should the Twins. Simply play him and hope (and pray).

Or, the Twins could do a KC and trade prospects for a top starting pitcher. KC sure turned themselves around by acquiring huge improvements in starting pitching. The shouting from the rafters "we've got the best MiL system" indicates that there is plenty of depth to make a trade or two and still have quality "in the pipeline". Money? They were willing to operate on a $110MM budget--and that was before MLB renogotiated their national TV contract. Hence, yes, there is enough money to afford a top starter.

It is true that the Twins scored many more runs in August than earlier in the season. Consider when they scored those runs. All too often they score a bunch when trailing by two bunches. Or, when with a nice lead--say the six-run 10th inning, when two runs would be considered "a lot". The Twins have far too few games where they score early and then grind down their opponent the rest of the game to secure victory by a small margin. Hitting stats can be very misleading. Sunday's 12-8 loss is an example--score was 11-2 at one point, the next six runs weren't all that useful. The lineup needs to be more productive early in the game to become a consistent winner.

Some of these promotions were definately rewards for performance in the minors rather than as a "look see" or "get your feet wet" or as a prelude to a future in the MLs. Ryn has always fancied his own scouting to try to obtain under-appreciated talent for possible use. By promoting these guys he ensures a steady stream of AAAA guys signing minor-league contracts with the Twins. Ryan does love "options".