Hawkeye Bean Counter

With a 30% chance of the playoffs at the deadline this was always the most likely outcome. Now will they actually get a lottery pick? Most likely not. If they do they will be locked out of the lottery for 2028. We will just have to wait and see. Maybe we will get lucky.

Another tough week - Record - 65-72 Playoff odds - 5.5% Ouch Lottery odds #1 pick 2.1% Top 6 20.3%

So just for verification- the team called up both Culpepper and Jenkins and there winning % has gone down. What would have calling the, up a week or two earlier have done?

I had proposed to punt the catching position this year at the rule 5 draft- trading Jeffers and go with Jackson, Pereda and and Susac. Carabello is a lottery ticket. But will be at a different level than the majority of our other catching prospects.

Lackey is the upside and floor, but since last July there has been a conservative effort to improve the catching depth and pipeline. Last year before the deadline all we had was Diaw. Now- Lackey, Tait, Tinney, Diaw, Jimenez and Carabello.

The history, cheering for teams that play hard even if overmatched. We are in a lull period but we had nearly a decade of good strong competitive teams. I’m ready for the next wave.

Did you watch any games on TV at the end of last season? It was extremely sparse. I don't care what they had for ticket numbers - the attendance these last couple of series has been much better than last years. Its not 1000 person difference.

Attendance fell off a cliff after the trade deadline.

Based on the way Tom was cold calling previous ticket owners led me to believe there was a significant reduction in fan engagement for tickets.

I thought they would be down by 15-20%. At least 10%. The difference between last years team and this years team is last years team had expectations to win. No one other than Tom expected this team to win. That this team is struggling down the end stretch trying to count on several young players is not surprising. Matthews, Priellip and Bradley are affectively holding your starting pitching together.

Last years team completely fell apart. The fact that they are only down 3% is impressive. Ownership can say it was win now, but everyone else knew that wasn't realistic. I watched some competitive baseball this year and the Twins stayed in the playoff race for the majority of the year, and maybe just maybe they go on a run to make it interesting down the stretch.

Bullpen - overachieved Bats - slightly above expectation Starting pitching - met expectations The team just seems to be hitting a wall. They had consistently held in the middle of the pack for a team that many expected to be a bottom 5 team in the league.

He has 2 now 😉

Tom and Falvey made clear statements on how the relationship and expectations had changed and Tom's management style. Those aren't assumptions those are facts. How it relates to to the daily decision making. I can't find the specific podcast but I believe it was the skor north podcast and maybe multiple podcasts. There was a discussion right after Nance was traded for. They discussed even if Tom was not actively involved with the specific decision to trade for Nance - although they speculated he was - Zoll knew exactly what Tom wanted by Tom's statements to the media stating why do they have to wait til the trade deadline to trade for players.

I don't hate Tom. I also don't think the Pohlad's are evil. You are also extrapolating much more regarding IL decisions than what I intended. I could discuss more on that but I think I've made it clear in this thread how I perceived that decision making occurring. The Twins are a smaller market team. Tom was naive and drastically unprepared and had unrealistic expectations- he admitted as much in July. Tom makes it very clear in this live interview he feels the landscape has changed and Falvey's time as leading the organization had come to an end. Falvey came out with an interview either right before or right after. His statement basically was Tom's management style was much different than Joe's and it just became clear that a separation was the best outcome. Tom and Falvey admitted they could not coexist. Now other assumptions can be included - but these are the interviews and statements that came out in January. Tom has continually reinforced with additional statements and being much more front and center and much more actively involved and engaged - which he stated in this interview. The specific quote shows how Tom planned to manage and achieve - specifically the fan engagement, regaining the players trust but coincides with all the other statements on how he was going to manage. The quotes are not finding a smoking gun situation as to how daily decisions are made, but they paint a very clear picture how it likely occurs. For me this discussion has taken its course. Having taken several management courses its clear Tom is more of an authoritarian and micromanager in his management style. All management styles can work, but all have strengths and weaknesses. I personally am much more of a delegator and democratic or laissez-faire in my management style - but even if those are your baselines you often have to change from time to time. Often with disciplining or handling a significant issue I would tend to become more authoritarian. I am sure Tom delegates at time and maybe is delegate more to Zoll than I think he is doing- at the very least its much more collaborative than anything we have had before.

Craig - yes at times we have to make assumptions. However there is ample statements and facts on the record in regards not only how active Tom is involved in the decision making the process and the day to day operations. The assumption that Tom has a laissez fair or hands off approach to decision making and delegates everything to Zoll has no basis that the factual record shows. Tom has been clear since Day 1 he was going to be active as the face of the franchise and in the decision making process. Falvey left and stated this was the exact reason that he felt him and Tom could not work together for the future. Falvey preferred to lead the organization with more of a hands of approach from ownership similar to Joe - and I would argue with a more realistic idea of what a successful season likely was.

If you want to isolate that specific quote then do so. However thats not what you quoted above. You said "Objection your honor - facts not in Evidence" after quoting the following quote by me. I will highlight my 1st line. So forgive me if I gave you facts supporting my stance on that @USAFChief .

Fact - On July 10th at a conference Tom stated his intentions for the Twins to continue to be buyers at the deadline. He stated then and 2 weeks later he had no intentions of trading Joe Ryan or Ryan Jeffers. He then stated why do teams have to wait til the deadline to trade for players. I submit the following evidence 1. July 10th - No less that 24 hours later the Twins traded for Nance. 2. Neither Joe Ryan or Jeffers were traded 3. The Twins were buyers at the deadline. So @HarmonK03 and @USAFChief - how can you not see that Tom is leading this ship on much of the direction and the decision making that is occurring? Go watch Zoll ridicule reporters after the trade deadline stating many were stating the Twins had to trade Jeffers. Zoll said effectively you obviously haven't been listening to Tom or me.

You seem to be under some weird allusion that Owners can't be actively involved with the day to day. Tom not only is involved with the day to day operations - he is also involved with the effectively any big decision. It was clear his style is more of a micro manager. So it is what it is. Trying to ignore that fact seems silly. “It’s just my style and the way I want to run this organization going forward and what I think is best,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t think that anybody else can. … I can’t outsource earning back the trust of our fans or of our employees or of the players. I think that work’s got to be done by me. So that’s what I’m trying to do.” - Tom Pohlad February

Tom sure as heck is directing the direction and giving the ok on the transactions. As to Buck - Tom has prided himself on increasing the communication from the front office with the ball players and Buck and Joe are the two main players we know he has had frequent discussions with. We all knew Tom wasn't the answer. Did you just wake up or something?

Who says he is overriding the doctors - thats not what I said. If I were to guess the doctors report came back as such - he is physically able to play now - he would benefit from some additional rest - there is minimal additional damage that can be done in the near term but he has a high probability of ending up back on the IL if he were to come back early. Buxton wanted to come back early to play at the field of dreams game and be a competitor. I am sure Tom, Zoll, Buck and the doctors all had input. Tom has clearly shown he is a novice at his job. Thats why I said losing Falvey at the time was such a big deal. You had no qualified individual leading the ship. I will agree with you that Zoll can execute transactions but in my opinion is not qualified for the job. Thats where Tom's ego came into play. Now the Team for the most part has made him look good.

If you don't think Tom is having some input I don't know what to say. Buxton is a competitor, but at the same point he has made poor decisions in trying to make this season and I'm going to use this term loosely - a "competitive" team. You have had a lot break right and we are still a sub .500 team. Pohlad is the one making the decisions, Zoll is just executing per his owners wishes. Tom is being much more activiely involved which is poor managerial set up. You have someone with minimal baseball knowledge pulling the strings. Its part of the reason why Falvey left.

Prather is up now. A was stacked at catching.

Jeffers at 2 for $20 million? Haha, yeah thats not happening. 3 for $60 million will be the base rate.