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Kwak

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Everything posted by Kwak

  1. Kwak
    Who knows maybe Gardy can get the spokesperson gig forTravelocity?
  2. Kwak
    The Twins Way Perhaps the definition you provided is your definition as opposed to their definition. SD it's OK to be a fan[atic] but that passion is what owners rely on to generate their profits. I believe that their definition is not the same as yours and is consistent with Carl Pohlad's philosophy. I have observed that those of great wealth have passions of their own where they may spend lavishly (without regard to financial end results) but that in business matters they are (shall I say) far more disciplined. Some owners have viewed their sports teams as a passion (to be enjoyed), but others (remember Cal Griffith?) view their team as a business.
  3. Kwak
    1 Twins Way, Minneapolis, MN, is the address the Minnesota Twins Baseball Team uses. So, any attempt to distance themselves from the term, The Twins Way, is a baloney sandwich. The "Pelfrey" comment: virtually guarantees that he will be on the Active Roster at season's start, but will be assigned some games to be the starting pitcher. "...talked about Plouffe and Suzuki 'getting better'. ..." Because after age 28 is when baseball players "make their move"? And continue to improve too. "The next manager will set the culture of the clubhouse". So exactly what is this culture? How does this "mate-up" with the "leadership from productive players"? Perkins--so he just kind of "ran out of gas"? From having to close so many games? To me, August and September was "the off-season" for a Twins closer and should have provided ample time off to "recharge his batteries".
  4. Kwak
    Perhaps not.
  5. Kwak
    "What could Ryan have done...[to make the Twins better]?" How about making massive changes to the organization? Those who were reponsible for drafting and developing? No, he just kept the gang together, found excuses for the Twins losing records, and trusted in the old ways of roster rebuilding using the same people to turn ducks into swans [marginal talent into viable major league players]. Oh, and while cutting payroll and praising prospects from Mount Target.
  6. Kwak
    Veterans only 'block" projects because the ballclub chooses to do so.
  7. Kwak
    "...who plays a better LF?"--No. Nor should that be the deciding factor. Plouffe's performance and the pitching staff's staff performance will decide. Plouffe's salary will be increasing dramatically. If the pitching continues to stink another trade is likely. Plouffe is not, and won't become an elite talent, paying FA salary dollars to keep at best an above average player, makes no sense if the rotation still stinks. What positon will Sano play in the minors this year? That will be decisive. If he stays at 3B--and defends well--he'll stick at 3B. If Sano "falters" at 3B defensively, then it will be decision time.
  8. Kwak
    Disagree if you choose, but one of the reasons cited for the public subsidy was to "... retain its players"--they might just as well have said "Joe Mauer". People can (and do) discuss the relative merits of Mauer, but the message was clear "...[we] want Mauer!" Please consider that people pay premium and even super premium prices for "star" talent--entertainment, lawyers, doctors, financial advisors, basically all walks of life. There is ample precedent for Twins fans to demand to see "their favorite player"--and pay for the priviledge to do so.
  9. Kwak
    No. Magglio Ordonez signed as free agent, was paid 16.2 MM in '06. Ivan (Pudge) Rodreiguez signed as a free agent, was paid 10.6 MM in '06 Kenny Rodgers (as you mentioned) 8 MM Carlos Guillen signed as a free agent, paid $5 MM in '06 Placido Polanco acquired from PHL during '05 season "rookie performing well" = Justin Verlander, who wasn't wasted in the minors climbing rung-by-rung and yes they have "improving players" from their own system. Last, but not least, acquired a proven success for their field manager Oh yes, their goal was to build a winner as opposed to cutting the budget.
  10. Kwak
    The 2003 Tigers were atrocious--43 wins or something like that. 2006 they were in the World Series.
  11. Kwak
    It's a bad idea. I can't imagine a new manager agreeing to it either.
  12. Kwak
    There has already been some MiL changes--the roving pitching and hitting instructors have been 'let go". Considering the problems the Twins have had it is expected that there would be a several changes. I am wondering when "change" will be made in Player Personnel.
  13. Kwak
    "...sustainable winning team." What a loaded statement, vague to the point of meaningless. Given 81 wins is breakeven "sustainable" could mean +/- 10 wins.from breakeven. It also implies that "the plan" isn't to assemble a championship team but rather a team that "bobs the surface". Was that the reason cited for the massive public subsidy to build a new stadium?--and said stadium to nearly triple the price of tickets as a bonus? I don't remember that as being cited as a reason to build TF.
  14. Kwak
    I would ask three questions: 1) Should/would the Twins trade top prospects for top major league talent? 2) Should the Twins be more aggressive in there promotion of minor leaguers, e.g. promote a player to a level where he is expected to struggle and see if he can't work through it rather than wait for mastery (whatever that is) before promoting a level. 3) Why don't the Twins have a level between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids?
  15. Kwak
    The TV announcer said something like: "he left the [RP] in there rather than 'watch me manage' by using more pitchers." Hopefully, the next Twins manager doesn't suffer from the 'watch me manage' syndrome.
  16. Kwak
    Don't the contracts run through December? Since they must be paid anyway there isn't any need to "fire" them now. By keeping them "employed", retaining anyone has less hassle, and they can get less-biased evaluations or anything close to productive.
  17. Kwak
    Run differential can be very misleading--a few blowouts can cover many 1-run games. I think it was 2013 when Baltimore had an amazing winning percent in 1-run games when compared to their overall winning percent. Until the Twins demonstrate the ability in the 1-run games they won't be a consistent winning team--or be a "playoff team".
  18. Kwak
    +1000 That has been "The Ryan Way. Sift through rosters and waiver wires and seek discaded gems because no only are players inexpensive you can be called "a genius". Yes, Ryan won the lottery with Johan Santana--and gets the proper credit--but team building isn't about winning lotteries. It's signing, developing, and occasionally exchanging, to fix problems and plug holes.
  19. Kwak
    Ryan has stated (for years) that he only gets involved in the first round of the draft. He disdains the draft as "a crap shoot". He firmly believes in his own scouting ability and scans the rosters of other teams for "talent".
  20. Kwak
    I remember a newspaper article that was about the reduction of "short-term debt" using profit from operations. I can't provide a link.
  21. Kwak
    +1. Things like profit, cost control, making the owner happy, etc.
  22. Kwak
    Amen. Plus, as noted above the Personnel Staff (the group that is responsible for the draft) has had so few positive results--yet none of them got fired ever. I believe Smith's job was to cut payroll and rebuild to win in the future (like '10). The fact that '08 and '09 went to game #163 was completely unexpected--basically to the point of amazing. Smith got axed because he didn't make massive cuts for '11 and that basically everyone else in the Twins (apparently) really disliked him. Note the lack of outpouring in his defense or the mention of three successful years. This tome in defense of Gardenhire ignores that his fingerprints are all over this mess, as well as the utter collaspes of team performances past the ASGs.
  23. Kwak
    My guess is that Anderson received a generous settlement to resign but to remain silent.
  24. Kwak
    My take is different than most--the plan was to put a decent team on the field, sell TF with all of the pretty limestone, outdoor baseball, Joe Mauer and "Yah never know!". The people would come streaming in, emptying their wallets dreaming "what if?" Most did not believe the team was as bankrupt as their marketing pitches until the end of the 2013 season. Ryan and Gardenhire made many promises to the execs, received a huge (by Twins standards FA budget), and put their heads together to reconstruct the roster. I'm not sure if they were convinced they had "solved the problem or not" after Spring training but by September (maybe August) I think they knew the answer. I don't believe the execs are committed to building a championship team, but simply provide sufficient entertainment consistent with a middle-of-the road budget. The stadium was not built to enrich BB players, but rather the owners.
  25. Kwak
    My 2 cents on the high-velocity, low K pitchers is the following: 1) Their FB is their best pitch and they "ride it hard"--but it isn't a great FB. 2) Their secondary pitches aren't good enough. Breaking balls and change-ups are more likely to fetch Ks than FBs--if they're good enough. 3) Twins pitchers are coached to "be aggressive; attack the strike zone", etc 4) Those pitchers "that don't throw enough strikes" face career change--everybody notices.
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