KidBro

It's 1:25pm on July 27th, at minimum 3 months and 17 hours removed from playoff contention. Our front office (past & present) seems to have a real niche of being able to Inspire Uninspire the Uninspired Inspired. My mood, and patience is turning foul. I can't imagine there isn't some sort of a market for Nunez, and somehow Ichiro Suzuki. Give, don't give us anything back, whatever.... the Future of this team has been held back for far too long now.

Lhttp://www.sideshowtoy.com/photo.php?sku=400302 Late to the party I am, but many laughs you have given to me.

Yep and Yep. this is my Xenophobia

So much for my "Twins2016" as my password to all my work applications......

I'm surprised this isn't looked at a bit more but here is my (amature GM status) 2 cents (I hope this doesn't get too long winded ((WARNING:crap it did)) I think the KC Royals, laid out a fantastic blueprint on how to win a championship as a smaller market team over the last 2 years. I think the Royals, and Cubs have shown how to build a successful team using a stocked farm system. Some of this is hindsight and to late for the Twins to adapt to, and some was apparent, and then ignored by our FO. But moving fwd, I think we still have a window of opportunity, but we need to have a plan, and stick to it.... and is Ryan the right guy for this plan? I'll start w/ how KC and CHC built their teams, and the Twins failed this approach. They had a group of young players, play together thru the minor leagues (For the Cubs it was mostly AAA Iowa due to acquired pieces). KC may have accelerated their players to the MLB a bit quicker, but most all came up and faced the trials and tribulations of the MLB together. They learned on the fly, and stayed true to their game (D and aggressive speed on basepaths). The Cubs are the same, they built a powerhouse AAA team, w/ some of the elite who's who of prospects. Some players got plenty of seasoning at Iowa, and some just had a pit stop before heading east on 80. But for the most part they caravanned east on 80 together. The SUCCESSFUL Cubs and Royals teams were going to be built with the prospects and fill the holes/missing pieces/key additions w/ FA signings (obviously easier for the Cubs). The Twins, no offense to some guys I really like, but have been using barely league avg Veterans and shuffling prospects back and forth willy nilly. Signing stop gap FA (pitchers) to big(ger than normal for Twins) deals, when we really haven't been in a place to make a run (wasted resources????). Where is the objective???? What is our teams identity???? We have had a loaded farm system, that guys have won championships together at multiple stops thru the minors for 3 years now. That's the core group, not (again I'm sorry to these players that I've grown to cheer for) Dozier, Plouffe, Hughes, Zuke, Perkins etc. Some of this plan has already been breached, but it's not to late to be sellers in Jun/Jul and start the core the 2nd half of the season. Learning curves you bet, but look at Cain, Hosmer, Perez, Rizzo, Baez first season and a half (give or take) in the majors.... and now they are the leading pieces to Championship Caliber teams. I need to add the blueprint, since it was in my thesis. Dayton Moore/Yost/KC FO a smaller market team, developed a strategy different from other AL teams. They lost Grienke a legitimate #1, and started the 2014/15 season w/ a rotation that I don't think had a true ace, similar of the Twins. But they had a balanced rotation, that could keep the game close until the 6th inning b/c they had one of the best defenses on the field. They eliminated opposing offenses stealing bases, they eliminated teams going 1st to 3rd w/ fast OF w/ good arms. And then hand it over to the bullpen that we all know what they are. They ranked dead last in HR's hit in 2014. However they put the ball in play, got on base at a high percentage, and got themselves into scoring position. And they weren't afraid to make a deal at the trade deadline last year for a 3 month rental. Whether that was the difference of them having rings or not, I don't know, but they won. I don't expect the Twins to follow exactly, but for teams that aren't able to sign Aces to 10 year deals (I don't want to really) I think what KC did is pretty genius. Unless we develop our own #1's and 2's, it's unlikely we can matchup in October w/ other playoff teams starting pitching. So you have to beat them at the back end. You have to be willing to adapt. You have to be willing to find other teams areas of weakness, and make those your strength. You have to invent ways to win. I don't ever expect the Twins to be the Nikola Tesla's of MLB, but let's not be the last to the party either. Great Job Dayton Moore. Ryan, or his heir successor, be BOLD, and don't look back. I will never fault a non-playoff team, if you Have a plan. Seeing the last 3-4 years, I'm looking really hard to find a plan. (Note)- Most of this ramble is speaking in generalizations. I could have added plenty of specifics, but this is already long winded enough. Just needed a good vent w/ my faithful Twins Brethren.

Wouldn't Twins actually have to pay double airfare?

I just booked tickets to Disney World...... boy, I can;t let this win stuff go straight to my head.

You shouldn't be able to start a new inning after a 3 hour time limit......

Here we go Paulie, chance to match their chess move...... use some strategy... HELLO IS THIS THING ON??????

Why does Dick get to determine what Parks biggest hit of the season is????

I hope that at least left an imprint of seams on Calhouns glove hand

Things are really heating up.....

Too little wind

"I read Kauffmans whole security checklist, I saw nothing Citing no Moose Antlers."

Sorry, meant more that TB was squaring the ball up pretty well vs him.

I'm just gonna leave this here: Tillman getting super roughed up thru 1 inning...... by Tampa Bay. I don't think that means anything....... Right?

A quick take on the difference between best and worst OF. I think 10 runs seems incredibly low over the course of the season (but I really have no idea). There is a big unknown in the cause and effect between the two. Take into factor, a 2 out gapper that the best OF tracks down. Out of the inning. The worst OF does not track down, even if no runners on and no runs scored, the rest of this inning is unknown, next guy up hits a 2 Run HR. Or our SP throws an extra 20 pitches in the inning, and need to go to bullpen at the start of a 10 day road trip w/ 0 off days. How many runs/W/L does that lead to.

It would behoove me to turn Dick, Bert/Roy and Marnie down on the TV and follow here..... I laughed so hard I cried, which was a nice cover during the top of 8th..... crap..... and the 9th too.

Obviously your not a bullpen arm

Any trades yet?