John Bonnes

It's possible that Hughes is the most untouchable player in the organization right now. As much hype as Buxton/Sano are hyped, Hughes is already a star performer at an area that the Twins are critically short. He can't be included in any deal for Bruce.

I didn't find a perfect free agent signing for the OF, so I guess this is fine. Mostly, I wanted a one-year deal, and I didn't care if it brought defense or offense - and I had no delusions they would get both on a one-year deal. I would rather he moves to left field. That seems silly.

For the last three years, the Murphy family has tried to answer a single question: how can we help get Tony Oliva in the Hall of Fame? No one asked them to answer that question. Not the Twins. Not Tony himself. They weren't deputized or drafted. They chose to do it themselves, coming together in a kitchen to found Vote Tony O to find out, "how can we help get Tony Oliva in the Hall of Fame?"That's not an easy question to answer, and as someone who writes more than he takes action, I'm a little worried that I can't do much. After all, baseball writing focuses on providing clear and concise answers to clear and concise questions. Which player won the game? Which team lost the trade? Who's washed up? Who's the future? There's a quick answer to each of those questions and a swath of data to support any answer you give: box scores and power splits, defensive metrics and pitch mapping. But when it comes to addressing Hall of Fame worthiness, things get trickier. For instance one advanced measure, which analyzes an array of statistics and contexts, puts Tony ahead of no-doubt-legends like Joe DiMaggio and Frank Robinson, but behind such faded who-the-hecks as Gavvy Cravath and Harry Stovey. http://votetonyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/VoteTonyO_Tony_Oliva_Official_Fan_Club-300x200.jpg "The numbers are easy", says Mike Murphy, one of Vote Tony O's spokespeople. "[They've] all been a record since 1976, but it's a little bit harder for us to quantify what Tony means to the community." Fuzzy though the quantification is, it's certain that Tony Oliva means a lot to his communities. He is and has been a role model for Cuban players coming to America. He served as a cornerstone of the Twins for the past 50 years as a player, a coach on both World Series winning clubs, and an announcer for our increasingly diverse fan base. Above all, he stands out as an indefatigable ambassador for the game, the team and life itself. Over the years Murphy and his family have seen this more than most people. "Tony loves being Tony. Tony loves being the guy that people want to come up and meet and touch and get an autograph. He loves everybody that comes up to him; he bends over backwards for these people, and it's because he truly enjoys it. " Again, anyone who has seen Oliva around the Twins in recent years knows it. Though the team has hardly been a bastion of good vibes, Oliva is often the greatest source of entertainment. He smiles. He beams. He radiates a love of the game that would insulate an ice fishing cabin in International Falls, and embodies a passion that those who fixate on questions about winning and losing too often forget. But the Murphys won't forget that passion, because they can't forget one of the rare times Oliva was dispirited rather than optimistic: winter 2011, the last time Tony was up for election. Mike Murphy remembers the push to the ballot. Remembers the day of the announcement. Remembers how "exactly the way you think it would be in your head, [that] was the way it was. You know the clock ticking and nobody talking, then depression sets in. "And the weird thing was Tony wasn't depressed he didn't get into the Hall of Fame. He's at peace with it; he's fine. That part's not a big deal. I'm sure he wants it, but the fact that he isn't in there? He's okay with it. "The part that disappointed him and bothered him was that he felt that he let his fans down...This is 35-ish years after the last baseball game he played. He was disappointed not because he didn't make it, but because he let his fans down." So while others might shake their heads and move on with their lives, the people behind Vote Tony O have taken up a three year campaign to push for Oliva's induction. They tweet. They promote. And they inundate the Hall of Fame with over 14,000 post cards highlighting Tony's achievements, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the game. According to Murphy, that has been the real driver of the group, focusing on "the character of the guy, the integrity of the guy, and re-shining some light. Hopefully we can pick up those last four votes and put him over." Four more votes, that's all Oliva needs. Twelve out of sixteen members of the veteran's committee. Former colleagues, executives and writers who know the game and its history, who should understand the effect that Oliva has had. And even though the votes belong to those men, and the honor of selection belongs to the players, the Murphys know that the institution isn't just the property of the gatekeepers or the honorees. "It's a museum. It's a New York State museum. It's a public thing, and frankly as a baseball fan: it's my museum." And even if you dispute Oliva's credentials (or refuse to consider him until after Gavvy Cravath gets his due), the leaders of Vote Tony O believe it's important to speak your mind. "It's our museum," repeats Murphy. "If [fans] feel strongly about anybody on that list be it Gil Hodges or Jim Kaat, I think it's their responsibility to let [the Hall of Fame] know. Nobody is really right and nobody is really wrong. But what we know as a fact is that an awful, awful lot of people think that Tony Oliva should be in the Hall of Fame, and that's what we [want] to share with those 16 guys." So, how can we help get Tony Oliva in the Hall of Fame? Simple: do whatever we can. The Vote Tony O website has a wealth of post cards that you can print and mail to the Hall of Fame (also linked to here for your clickable perusal). The baskets of cards are dumped out in front of the committee members and makes for a rather effective image (as noted by former committee member Tommy Lasorda). So here's what you do 1. Click on the links to find the post card you like. 2. Print one (or preferably more) off. 3. Add a personal memory. 4. Address it to: Baseball Hall of Fame Attn- Golden Era Committee 25 Main Street Cooperstown NY 13326 5. Attach a stamp to the card. 6. Drop it in the mail. Whether you stood beside him at the Cuban sandwich station at Target Field, or held out a ball for an autograph at the Metrodome, or cheered with the Knothole Gang in the Old Met's bleachers on a Saturday afternoon, I think you'll agree that Tony Oliva is an integral part of what Minnesota baseball is. http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/reu/d/2011%5C98%5C2011-04-08T182219Z_01_MIN04_RTRIDSP_0_BASEBALL.jpg Whether you appreciated his friendly demeanor, or his clutch performances, or his bad-ball hitting, or his mentorship, or his courage in simply being a man of color in minor league towns that kept him separate and unequal, I think you'll agree it's time to stand up and say "thank you" to Tony Oliva. Whether you want to recognize a player who never got his due, or acknowledge the role he played in cementing baseball as an international game, or just want him to savor the game's greatest honor before (like Ron Santo and Buck O'Neill) it's too late, I think you'll agree it's important to call on the Veterans Committee to "Vote Tony O". Do your part: click, print, sign, lick a stamp, and make yours the 14,001st plea for the Veteran's Committee to Vote Tony O. Well...14,002nd. I already sent mine. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John welcome special guest Steve "Randball's Stu" Neuman for beers atSummit Brew Hall and talk about filling out the Twins' coaching staff, having Torii Hunter feelings, Miguel Sano and 40-man roster additions, good charities and $100,000, The Sportive podcast, and trying out for The Voice. Don't forget, you can subscribe to GATG using iTunes or Stitcher. Or listen by clicking on "Play" below. . Click here to view the article

UPDATE (Sun, 10:00 PM) - Beradino tweeted that the Yang's KBO team, the Kia Tigers, have not officially accepted the bid yet. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson says that the Korean media is reporting that Texas had the winning bid." The Minnesota Twins have won the posting for South Korean 26-year-old pitcher Hyeon-Jong Yang per Pioneer Press’ Mike Berardino. This means they now have exclusive negotiating rights with him for 30 days to finalize a deal. Amazin Avenue has an excellent profile of Yang that goes beyond the initial anonymous scouting reports. This summarizes a lot of that story and adds in some other sources I’ve found. Yang is 26 years old and dominated in high school, making the South Korean Junior National Team. His success led to him being drafted ninth overall in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) Draft.The southpaw debuted as a 19-year-old in 2007 and started the year in the rotation but was moved to the bullpen as the season progressed due to struggles with his control. It was the same story in 2008, but he broke through in 2009, posting a 3.15 ERA with 139 K and 58BB in 148.2 IP. He also led the Kia Tigers to a Korean Series victory. He regressed a bit in 2010, getting 16 wins but taking a step back in individual statistics like ERA (4.25). He had similar mediocre results from 2011 through 2012 as he continued to struggle with his control. He bounced back in 2013 though he missed time with a pretty serious rib injury. And in 2014, while his individual statistics don’t look spectacular, he did so in a high offense season in the KBO. He has also trimmed his walk rate over the last two years to a more respectable 3.9 BB/9. (It was over 5 for almost every other season of his KBO career.) This year, despite pitching for a struggling Kia Tigers team (they finished 52-74), he won 16 games and KBO’s version of the Cy Young award, the Choi Dong-won Award. This is the first season it has been awarded. That being said, it’s not clear from his statistics just why he won. Looking at KBO stats last year, it looks like several pitchers had a better year across the board. Amazin Avenue’s Steve Sypa cautions readers to take the projection of Yang as a #2 or even #3 starter with a large grain of salt. That projection was made by an anonymous scout to Daily News writer Mark Feinsand, but Sypa lists several others who are not as optimistic. The primary discrepancy surrounds Yang’s fastball, which is sometimes reported as reaching the mid-90s, but is also is listed at times as topping out at 91 or 92 mph (like in this scouting report, which also has a lot of information on his other pitches). His best pitch is his slider, but he doesn’t throw it very often, reserving it as a strikeout pitch. He also has a changeup, which has a nice velocity differential, but its movement is inconsistent. (I get the sense he has trouble keeping it low in the zone.) But the key concern about Yang is his control. His overall BB/9 in the KBO is 4.7, which is terrible. His pitches can have inconsistent movement. It sounds like his fastball can be thrown a few different places in the zone. His slider, when working, breaks down, but can also tail away from lefties. In the scouting report above, he was noted as occasionally pitching aggressively inside, but he wasn’t among the league leaders in hitting batters. This year, Yang is joined in being posted by fellow KBO pitcher Kwang-Hyun Kim. Kim was just posted and won by the Padres for $2 million last week. Kim and Yang have had parallel careers since they were pitching together on the South Korean National team, and Kim was ranked as the 32nd best free agent by Hardball Talk before the season began. Feinsand lists Yang as a better bet than Kim, but it’s not clear from their careers that there is much difference. Both are following the lead of Dodgers pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu, who was posted and signed two years ago and has posted a 3.17 ERA over 344 IP in those years. His success has renewed interest in KBO players, particularly pitchers. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John breakdown the free agent outfielders available to the Minnesota Twins, walk through arbitration abitration decisions, introduce you to Starflyer 59’s latest album, discuss the latest additions to Paul Molitor’s coaching staff, encourage you to donate to Aaron Purmont’s family and review Fritos on a pizza. Don't forget, you can subscribe to GATG using iTunes or Stitcher. Or listen by clicking on "Play" below. Click here to view the article

I often talk about the cyclical nature of baseball success siting using up prospects, lower draft positions & escalating salaries as factors that eventually make the competetive window close. But there are other effects of success that affect all organizations, not just baseball ones. Falling in love with a methodology that has brought great success, but to which the world has adjusted, is one.

Aaron and John go to Town Hall Brewery and talk about Paul Molitor officially being hired as Twins manager, a Torii Hunter reunion, Tom Brunansky returning as hitting coach, last week's impromptu chat with Tim McIntosh, thoughts from Molitor's press conference, bad newspaper columnists, good bourbon, and being woken up by Molitor on a Saturday morning. Don't forget, you can subsribe to GATG using iTunes or Stitcher. Or just click 'Play' below. Click here to view the article

In the end, the Twins returned to the rumored manager-in-waiting. Did the process verify their instincts? Of does choosing the leading candidate condemn the process? How does one evaluate a managerial search? Is it purely based on the success of the manager it chooses? Or can we judge the process independently?The Minnesota Twins haven’t had to perform many managerial searches over the last 30 years. Back in 1987 they went through one, but settled on the interim manager who had finished out the 1986 season, Tom Kelly. He has the most managerial wins in Twins history. After 2001, they tried again, but they performed that search under the threat of imminent contraction, which limited the candidates. They settled on their third base coach, Ron Gardenhire, who is the fastest manager to 1000 wins in Twins history. They’re hoping for similar success with this offseason’s choice, Paul Molitor, but that is to be determined. An area we can evaluate more immediately is how this hiring process played out. In the end, the Twins returned to the rumored manager-in-waiting. Did the process verify their instincts? Of does choosing the leading candidate condemn the process? Twins GM Terry Ryan is comfortable with the process but is empathetic to that concern. “I understand that because we came back around to the front runner in the fans' minds,” replied Ryan. “Also I would’ve taken on a lot of criticism if I didn’t explore the [Joe] Maddon situation, I think. I explored some other people outside the organization that I thought were very worthy to talk to. I think it was fairly thorough.” In fact, if anything, he felt pressure for being too thorough. “Now there were other people involved in this process that I certainly had to justify the time (to). But between the World Series and all the things that come with October – that’s the only reason it took so long.” It was Ryan’s decision to make, but Twins president Dave St. Peter and owner Jim Pohlad joined in as the decision came nearer. St. Peter detailed the process: “I would say there were two or three phases. I think the first phase was Terry and Rob [Antony] and some of the baseball operations crew, not only vetting candidates but doing an initial interview with a host of candidates. “I got involved along with Jim in the second phase in which we had narrowed it down to a few finalists. So we spent time individually with all of those as well as with Terry and the baseball operations group. We had a chance to see and hear from the candidates directly and understand what their vision was. Maybe a chance to get to know them a little bit. “I’d say the third phase was more Jim and Terry and myself having a level of dialogue based on input provided by a variety of people in the organization and ultimately we got a recommendation from Terry in the middle of last week, maybe Thursday, and ultimately Paul was notified on Friday that he was our guy.” Did all that involvement from ownership and the business side impact the decision at all? Jim Pohlad doesn't think so. In fact, he’ll tell you that he purposely didn’t try to single out any of the final candidates. “I didn’t say that I believed that Paul [Molitor] separated [himself from the other candidates], claims Pohlad. “I gave Terry input as to my thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of all three candidates. Everybody else did and Terry heard from a lot of people on the outside. I think he processed all that and went with Paul. I think that was a really great choice.” Ryan agrees both that it was his decision to make and that Molitor was the right choice. “Ultimately we had a consensus of what to present to Jim [Pohlad] and Dave [st. Peter]. We did that. As it turns out, I think the fit is ideal. I think, with all the things that surround us right now, it’s the right time for him to take over this club. I think we have a chance here pretty quick to get this thing going in the right direction.” The process, when looked at by an outsider, seems to have been thorough and attempted to be objective. From the inside, it may have been challenged by similar forces to those that effect any organization - alliances, history, personal bias - but that is going to be true of any profoundly important task within an organization. The people involved clearly felt this decision was a priority, took their time, explored areas externally, gathered input internally, brought in leadership at an appropriate time and carried multiple candidates all the way to the conclusion. But ultimately, it likely will not be judged by any of those factors. It'll be judged by how quickly Molitor can "get this thing going in the right direction." Click here to view the article

For a dozen years I questioned whether Molitor was really the manager-in-waiting because I felt like ultimately the organization wouldn't trust someone who had never managed (let alone, someone who was not willing to be a manager at any other level other than the majors.) I do think this is a much bigger risk than people are truly recognizing.

Since I only started blogging about the Minnesota Twins since February of 2002(!), today was my first Welcome The New Manager Press Conference™. Mostly I learned that it is very hard to be objective at a Welcome The New Manager Press Conference™. The primary barrier to an objective mindset yesterday was Hope. Hope is referenced in a lot of pseudo nebulous speak like “Baseball IQ” and “Good Fit”, but it boils down to the belief that this manager bathes in whatever special sauce really good managers bathe in. And that Hope is nearly invincible when the new manager is a hometown boy, universally beloved, who has been good to the local media for years. Oh, and also happens to be a Hall of Famer.That combination is an intoxicating highball, and there were more than a few questions from local media that sounded like they were enjoying the trip…. “Do you just love working with guys one on one?” “How did you get to be so super baseball smart? Is that going to be a problem?” “Do you remember that time when you hit a triple and it was your 3000th hit? That was awesome!” [Throws self onto table, which collapses onto the floor.] “You combed your hair a little different yesterday. Nobody else noticed. But I did.” Those might not have been exact quotes. And even if they were, the fourth estate can be excused for being a little too giddy. Molitor is likable and sincere. It is hard to be moderate, let alone skeptical. But the place to start would be his managerial resume, which is nonexistent. That obvious concern was taken care of immediately, when the very first question for Molitor was about his lack of managerial experience. “I think that’s a very fair question. Playing, coaching, developing – it’s not the same as being the leader at the top", Molitor replied. He hopes to address some of those concerns with his coaching staff. “I think assembling a staff that is supportive and is able to fill some of those gaps, at least for me in the interim as we go forward, will be very, very critical. It’s something that we plan to get started on. We’ve had a lot of preliminary discussions.” Terry Ryan admitted that was a concern of his too, but a little research helped. “If there was one thing that Paul wasn’t experienced in, it was making out the lineup card, said Ryan. “That certainly crosses every general manager’s mind about the hiring process. Then you look at some of the recent history of major league managers. There’s many guys that are succeeding that haven’t made a lineup in their life.” And Ryan echoed Molitor’s intention to address some of these concerns via the assistant coaching staff. “Now [Molitor has] admitted he has some thing to learn. Doesn’t everybody?” asked Ryan. “So handling a pitching staff – he’s never done that. Being the manager of 25 men – he’s not done that. There are a few other things that are going to come across his desk that he’s never experienced. But nonetheless he’s gong to surround himself with people that will help him.” The Twins certainly seem to recognize the obvious: their new manager will need some help. Perhaps we will see an ex-manager on the coaching staff, or some coaches with managerial experience to lend Molitor a hand. They’ll help accommodate the tangible weakness. They’ll place their faith on the intangibles: the special sauce, the Baseball IQ, the Hall-of-Fame pedigree. And, of course, The Hope. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John start the podcast at New Bohemia talking about the the weird way that the news broke that Paul Molitor will be the next Twins manager and what it might mean, then run into a guy with a World Series ring, then find out he used to play with Molitor, then talk to the guy, then talk more about Molitor, and then argue about LaTroy Hawkins and Matt Capps for twenty minutes. So, basically, pretty much just like every other episode.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it atGleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

Please take a minute to check out our new web site Wild Xtra! Just like Twins Daily, we've gathered the best of the independent team bloggers, only this time we have EIGHT of them. That means it will have 2-3 in-depth, independent and intelligent stories each day on the Minnesota Wild. Plus, you'll find the same great discussion on the day's news in the forums, where your Twins Daily login will work.You know we believe in baseball, but the truth is that we also believe in communities, and it is our sincere hope that a Wild community spring up around Wild Xtra that rivals the community of which you're a part a Twins Daily. So please stop by and let us know what you think. Or let the Wild fans in your life know they have a touchpoint now, too. Visit Wild Xtra Click here to view the article

Aaron and John take the podcast to the brand new LynLake Brewery and talk about the Twins' lack of spending, Parker Hageman's lengthy interview with Terry Ryan for the TwinsCentric Offseason Handbook, how Ron Gardenhire's exit probably happened, the value of outfield defense, fans going from frustrated to angry, playoff payrolls, imagining the Twins as the Vikings, and mailbag questions from listeners. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article