Platoon

Which would be akin to me painting over the rust on my old pickup!

I think they "hope" to win, which sounds great but is a HUGE difference between expect to win. For example Derek Jeter expects to win, Brian Dozier hopes to win!

To see an example of losing culture, look to the Detroit Lions of the Bud Grant era. They knew they were going to lose to the Vikings. And did. The Twins seem to have an inferiority complex... Which actually dates to their years in the playoffs.... I cannot say for a fact this lies soley with Gardy, but if it's a merely coincidence, it's also merely consistent! Some teams win more than they should, some teams lose more than they should. Which category do the Twins fall into?

Are they better at picking, or picking earlier.... Think the latter. I am no apologist for the twins, but there is a reason the draft is inverse to standings. Therefore, everyone has their ups and downs. Good management keeps the ups longer and the downs shorter. Therein lies the difference.

I don't like to trade prospects personally. I do like to trade middle of the road veterans who are having a career year. (See Willingham, Suzuki, Dozier). Not because they are "bad" ball players, but because you won't get better with them, you will remain stagnant. So if you are in a 4 year death spiral, move them on the high side. We can't (or won't) spend Yankee type money on a roster. In house is the other option. Until the core is established from your own system, buying a guy here or there does not win a division. As to the fan disconnect, the article is spot on. I have a son and son in law, both with tlong baseball backgrounds, who barely follow the scores, not to speak of watching the games. Me? I watch them, if only to fulfill my masochistic tendencies!

So Ryan is effectively going about restocking the cupboards? And Gardy can't win with the players he has? So now what? He did ask the most pertinent question about Gardys future? Is he the guy for the next wave? IMHO, not really. I don't mean he can't manage, he just doesn't seem like the young team type of guy. He is far more comfortable with a team of stable do it yourself veterans. The exact opposite of what hopefully is coming soon. And his hands off approach to managing drives me bonkers. If you don't want a Santanna to bunt the other night, tell him not to bunt. Don't burn him later at the presser. Peer pressure is great, but the bottom line is he is the manager. Hicks was either late or he wasn't. If he is late, lighten his wallet. Sit him for 3 days. Players respect discipline that is fairly and consistently applied. A managers decisions on when to change a pitcher, bunt, steal etc, are subjective. They are neither right or wrong, except in the eyes of the beholder. Gardy should not be let go because of those types of field decisions. But he should be let go because of his inability to adjust to a players strengths, a continuing decline in team performance every year, and his hands off approach to in the game decisions. Would a different manager have reversed the record of this years team. Not on your life. But would a different manager have lessened the loss total, headed the team forward, and reversed the listless performances seen in the last half of the last four seasons? Therein lies the answer.

OMG you have to practice, For me it comes naturally, like falling over a log

Hmmm. I wondered what was up, for so,e reason the game lacked drama... I thought for awhile there was electricity in the air, and then I remembered I had left on my wool socks!

I always hated when that happened, it made it so hard to catch the ball!

One very long fly ball from a tie game.... But Nunez gets his fielding % up to 50 for the inning to save us!

As have I... 188 posts, of which only 6 vaguely referred to the game? Is Game Thread a misnomer?

Not only did I not inhale colitas, but I had my eyes closed during those porn visits...

All of the above, but chi town has such long jams.... And the construction takes forever... I started going thru there in 83 I think, and last year I recognized a flag man from then, over 30 years in the same spot..lol

If you find TD readers turning down you invites to stop over for a good home cooked meal, you can look back at this post for one of the many reasons!

There is something so wrong about that!

Not at this rate

As for me, I think Oswaldos hair is completely under appreciated.

If the there is a tie for the worst record in baseball, do we have yet another game 163??

From what I have heard they now allow you to shoot anywhere in Chicago !

Earlier in the game, before I got too engrossed here, Dick and Bert were drooling over what the playoff atmosphere will be like in coming years! (Their contracts must be longer than I thought)

International Falls..... Smelled so bad, they moved it all the way to the Canadian border

But the good thing about Gary, you can get your ur windshield washed at any stoplight!

I have never numbered my elbows,,, I am afraid the second will develop an inferiority complex...

You mean these are archived?? Kind of reminds me of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Just think of some future civilization finding the archives! At least it would answer the mystery of what happened to civilization in the early 21st century!

People coming from the east use the Gary airport........... The traffic is to bad to get to ohare or midway!