Western SD Fan

I’m glad I’m missing all the bad play. Maybe it will end when the Colorado FB game is over and I watch the Twins game.🫣

I live on the very frontiers of what is considered Twins Territory (western Dakotas). With that being said, I am not able to make it to Target Field very often, typically only one weekend per year as it is an over 8-hour drive. I've always lived in this region and have been a fan since I could remember. Until this year, my entire adult life I have spent purchasing cable packages to include the Twins as that is one of the few ways I can support the team from here. I finally was able to get Fubo to watch this year and it was a good thing I did as the other cable providers in the area had the same blackout as Comcast did earlier this summer My frustrations have been over the years, the team has not invested in Twins Territory like they expect us to invest in them in order to create a team that we can support. Years ago, the winter caravan used to go all over the Dakotas and now they barely make it to Fargo or Sioux Falls. Another item has been the lack of inviting successful Twins Territory youth programs to Target Field for a game or a weekend. I point to this year's LLWS participant Sioux Falls, SD team. I don't remember seeing an invite to Target Field after their finish. How do you expect to foster the next wave of fans (income) if you don't take the effort to reward those players (and parents) to the game? When watching the LLWS and they focus on their favorite players, very few from the Sioux Falls team listed Twins players as their favorites. When I was their age and had a favorite team, I always wanted to be like my favorite player on that team. All of this rambling seems to point to a systemic failure of the organization to properly market the team they have, settling for mediocrity as other posters have stated, and willing to sign oft injured or DFA type players that no fan can really get behind as they change from year to year. When you have what is consistently voted among the best venues in baseball as well as in sports in general, it's criminal to not properly market that to the fan base. Compound that with the analytics that keep pushing the 3 true outcomes and you consistently get people like Joey Gallo batting 5th in your lineup. Why was it exciting to watch Nelson Cruz come up to bat or equally frustrating with Miguel Cabrera. Because they didn't care about the 3-run homerun. They just wanted the single to the other side to score that one run and keep the line moving. I wanted to address the comparison to Colorado. I do believe it is a reasonable comparison as there are plenty of things to do around Denver. Taking in games last year at Coors Field, I would agree that many of the attendees are transient. I would also argue that many of the fans at Target Field are transient as well. The game I attended this year was against St. Louis and it seemed like up to half the fans there were from St. Louis, even with the Correa jersey giveaway. The most attended games at Target Field seem to be against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays and I don't believe it is because the locals all of a sudden decide to come out. I've heard from fans, especially Yankee fans, that it's cheaper to fly to MN and purchase the good club seats than it is to watch a game at Yankee Stadium. With Blue Jay fans, it's like they closed the city of Winnipeg, and all moved to the Cities for the weekend. Lastly, comparing to the Vikings. I've seen a lot of purple and gold hoodies with a Viking helmet that says: "This team makes me drink." I don't see that as much with Twins fans. My observation with the Vikings (thankfully not a fan of them, I can't handle that much negativity in my life😉) has been their performance on the field that has frustrated fans and not how they have not connected to the community or the team construction by the front office or ownership. I apologize for this being so long as there just seemed to be more to say as I fleshed out my thoughts. As a fan, I hope for a better next year and will continue to support them how I can.

You say outdueled. I say a pathetic offense that did nothing for him. Especially when it was apparent he d not have his best stuff tonight.

It’s a good thing we didn’t have anything to play for tomorrow. Kudos to Pablo for coming out for the 6th even though he was at 95 pitches. Let’s hurry up and get out of the game. Can Willi come in and pitch yet?

Idk what we have to do to get the ghost of Jamie Moyer put away his voodoo doll, but we should try it.

Exactly, we already have a below average utility person, WIlli Castro. On an unrelated topic, it was interesting how Cory P was surmising how some of the pitchers may be down after the work the last couple days. If you're not available for an elimination game, I don't want you on the team. And if the coaches/managers are shutting you down, they need to go as well.

This has been the culmination of a total failure of all parties from ownership to the FO to the manager and coaches to the players. It seems apparent that neither Rocco nor the coaches can reach the young players. In player interviews, I never hear of Pete Maki, Popkins, Rocco, or any other coach get praise for helping them out with something. It's been Pablo, Correa, Buxton, Santana that get the kudos from the younger players. Provided the FO will still be there in the offseason, there will need to be some changes. If you're not going to change manager or the staff, maybe they need to trade some players as it seems that the message being delivered is not getting through. I'm glad all these analytics guys don't believe in the RBI as a stat because neither do the players. Maybe Ron Washington is willing to leave LA for what is supposed to be a better team than what he has to manage in LA. He will at least teach fundamentals to the infield. My fear is that we have become a more expensive version of the White Sox. They had a lot of up-and-coming players and were supposed to be a juggernaut and within two years tied the record for the most losses in a season.

As much as I have wanted Rocco fired, I can’t blame him for this one. The players just didn’t get it done.

So what are they saving Topa for?

I have to say that takes talent to create new ways to run yourself out of an inning

Lewis wants to be the hero so damn bad he is making it worse.

Golden 5 gallon hat 🤷

Damn. I though that was going to be off the wall.

Who called for a pop up Jeffers?

Marlins pitcher is so wild he’s getting squeezed when he does throw a strike.

Walk off win! Let’s go!

Aren’t you abusing yourself enough by watching the game?

I would like to see Willi Castro do a Cesar Tovar this weekend and play all 9 positions. Just a thought.

I didn’t know shoveling manure was in his repertoire, but here we are.

At least Mourneau isn’t trying to gaslight us tonight that this is a great pitcher. He still wont criticize the hitters though.

I was going to make a joke on they have us right where they want us…in scoring position. I guess that was more truthful than I wanted to admit.

I’m starting to wonder if they are into that?

I agree that may be the likely outcome. I picked Miami as they have a closed roof and would definitely be preferable to Tampa, Houston, or Texas, all are surprisingly on the road.

I’ve actually been surprised that a rumor hasn’t come up to play the KC/ATL series in Miami (Marlins finish in Toronto). I would think it would be incredibly hard on the Braves to potentially have to play 2 doubleheaders in 3 days as I don’t see a way that they play on Friday night.

At least we can get that outside strike call as well