USAFChief

I'm not sure it's fair to describe the Twins team that left spring training as "talent laden." To be sure, there's been underperformance. Some injury issues as well. But the roster is built mostly on proven mediocrity and high hopes for what young players might become. There is no "there" there. Many predicted Rosario would struggle. Buxton the same. Suzuki had a hot first half in 2014, but he's not a .670 OPS player, nor is he someone playing for his defense. Lets be honest...Mauer is a mediocrity at first base and as a three hitter, incapable of carrying a team for a week like genuine middle order hitters are. Sano seems legit, but he's young and probably out of position. Dozier and Plouffe are nice players, but not front line talent. Would anybody describe the pitching as "talent laden?" Half a decade after his return, the GM has assembled a roster that needed massive overhaul a month into the season. That's not a reason to pat him on the back, and it's not an indication this is simply a good team he's assembled that's playing bad. Which isnt to say they're not playing bad. i dont expect poor or mediocre players to play great day in snd day out. But i do think its fair to ask why this team is so poor at basic execution. You can't watch this team for more than a game or two without seeing a laughably bad baserunning mistake. A missed cutoff, a mental lapse, inattention to opposing base runners...the list goes on. Why is it unfair to ask if some of that falls on the manager and/or coaches? Just my opinion, but while things are probably worse than they had to be...part of the "worse" isn't simply on the players. It's on the GM and manager, too. And I'd go so far as to say that's the core issue.

I'm not sure any organization, ever, held the standard of "very likely to be an improvement over the status quo" when the status quo is " failure." And "keep in place" through rough patches isn't exactly an overriding concern either, IMO. There's a very good chance by October this team will have accumulated 550 losses over the past six seasons. One playoff win in decades. Current roster in shambles. All with basically the same management. "Not likely to be worse" seems a more appropriate standard to me.

Schmidt had an OPS+ of 76 his first year (SSS) and 92 his second. Buxton 56 and 38. Start somewhere else.

"I think it's well worth enduring the losing seasons for the result of a stocked farm system. I think this is the way to achieve sustained success." This doesn't seem contradictory to you, Sam? Losing seasons equals sustained success?

LOOSAH.

Plus, it's not like anybody would believe he hit what he was aimin' at.

Oh c'mon, lets not exaggerate. The BNB's could hit.

This is obviously wrong. It only SEEMED like we skipped the top of the 3rd and the WS batted for six consecutive outs.

LOL: Morris "No, I don't believe May was throwing at him...but I'm glad he did."

Just exactly what class ARE you teaching??

Great, we lose 5-4.

I sense sarcasm from 1800 miles away. amiright?

http://regardingarts.com/film/gfilm/greentwp.JPG walkin the mile, walkin the mile...

Dick just informed me the WS are "beginning to pull away." True story.

"True story" I forgot our anniversary last week. Kind of a big deal...35 years and all. The next morning I felt terrible, so I asked Mrs Chief how I could make it up to her. She told me she wanted to find something in the garage that went from zero to 200 in seconds flat. So i backed her old clunker out and put the bathroom scale in her parking spot.

You made that up.

For real? //ha! I KILL me!//

The next time somebody tells me Joe Mauer never has any RBI's because he never gets any chances, or spouts some dribble about his BA w RISP, I'm gonna play a tape of that AB. "Take two and flip one to left with 2 strikes" never won a pennant and never will.

Busted. But I gotta ask...of all the "personal" stories I've told on game threads, THAT's the one I get busted on??

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/shot-glass-whiskey-27414884.jpg concur.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2540157.1456171265!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/108024005.jpg I thought that guy from Utah had the record in Jeopardy.

Technically...he didn't steal.

A bear walks into a bar and says "Give me a beer ... ... ... and some peanuts." The bartender says, "OK, but why the long pause?"

shellshocked

ftfy.