Squirrel

I hate Southwest. That is all

Going to full version helps but I hate navigating the full version on my cell phone

Ugh. Have gotten this pop up repeatedly today.

Which will he choose? Hmm ... maybe Bo knows ...

And a 4th was considering. All women, too. Not sure of the significance of that but found it interesting. But then women and minorities are most affected by this brand of conservatism.

Because Joe is no longer on this team. He’s done and gone. You can’t hold him to a standard any longer. And those in charge of his training and conditioning are also no longer here. So he is no longer relevant. How they deal with players going forward is and I hope they take necessary and different steps going forward. Period. If that’s a different standard than what they held Joe to ... good, isn’t it? Isn’t that what you want?

This is reasonable and a standard we'd all like to see. But there is no longer a reason to post pictures and stories about Mauer moving forward as he is no longer part of the team and no longer represents that standard, or non-standard as you have implied for years now. I'm hoping that the standard they are holding Sano to is something they are doing moving forward for everyone. As I said, I think that it's plausible that it's not a true double standard as it's old regime v new regime with new staff and new trainers ... changes they've made recently. However ... while I hope that they concern themselves with training and conditioning standards for all their players, it does also seem reasonable that that won't/can't be exactly the same for everyone. What I want to see is results. I think Sano gave them reasons to apply more scrutiny to him. I don't know what they are doing about Buxton but he's a different player, with a different make up and a different level of skills. And I don't know what they are doing with everyone else, either, for that matter. And maybe with some they don't need to because those players are more disciplined and focused without additional help from the team. Not everyone has that same level of discipline and focus, no matter the level of talent, no matter the level of desire. While it might seem logical that when there is talent and desire, there should be equal amounts of discipline and focus behind. It just isn't always the case. In my career and business ... it is extremely talent oriented, almost always talent oriented. So many players who just have it vs those who don't. It's not to say that those with less talent can't do it ... their road is much more difficult and filled with extra hours upon hours of practice. But I've also seen some of the most talented practice less because they simply don't need to because they just have that much talent. I've also seen some of the most talented have careers that have ended badly because they didn't keep up, also. And I've seen some prolong their careers beyond belief because they took extra, special care. In the end ... players are different, talents are different, skills are different. You don't want to see someone with loads of talent, like Sano and Buxton, falter. When they do, you take whatever measures you feel you need to with each individually to hopefully get the most out of them for the longest possible amount of time. They aren't the same players or persons, so how they do that is going to differ, and look to be a double standard. But we don't know for certain it is because we don't know everything that goes on behind closed doors. <shrug> I always hope for the best, and hope that all involved are putting their best feet forward, and prepare for disappointment because I think it is sometimes impossible for some to meet fan expectations. But I think the changes they've made in training staff may make a difference and signal the change that you want. Time will tell.

I don't disagree that there is a double standard at play. That was the purpose of your thread, was it not, to assert that there is a double standard and then highlighting the two players to prove that? I'm not saying that you think it's due to race, I'm saying that it could have a part in it. You brought to light this double standard ... now that you did, I think it's fair for any of us to jump in on that and discuss the double standard rather than just go down a path we've been on many, many, many, many times before that leads to nowhere but two sides ... one criticizing a player (be it Mauer or Sano), the other defending. We all know what your feelings are about Mauer ... they are well documented, and then some. You've started many threads in the past to discuss this or inserted yourself in many more to drive the discussion there. But this thread is a little different and you've actually given us something different to discuss. It's not the same ol' same ol' and don't think it should be. If there is a double standard at play here, you said there was, and I don't disagree. Regardless of our differing opinions on the players involved, we agree on the double standard angle. All I'm saying, and it's my opinion, I'm not saying it's yours, but you did bring up this double standard, all I'm saying that race could very well play a part in the perception of need to give one player more scrutiny than the other. But then again, and I've said this, too ... this double standard could be as simple as ... it's a different FO trying to guide Sano to reach his potential than the FO of the past guiding Mauer to reach his. But, as you also pointed out, this FO was in place for a couple years, so why didn't they give Mauer this treatment when they took over? Well, they didn't give Sano this treatment then, either. And it could be that they saw an aging veteran at the end of his career and thought that their time and efforts were better spent guiding the future rather than bothering to try and change the past. That's really a huge difference, don't you think? I mean, they really started their hardcore scrutiny of Sano and his conditioning this past season ... do you think they should have done that to Mauer? I guess taking the approach of 'why bother with that now' is understandable whether or not you agree. And, well, this is the first off-season, that I know of, that they are filming and watching his workouts. So, maybe there really isn't a double standard being employed here. I'm not sure. But, I do know that one player is white, the other is black. It's a little difficult not to enter that information into an equation when discussing double standards employed on how this FO is going about guiding players' off-season training regimens.

Why not? If you want to know why the double standard, why is that not a possibility? It seems a reasonable possibility. Are Sano and Mauer viewed differently because of race and that is why one is receiving more scrutiny now than the other ever did? I don't know why you think that shouldn't be a part of the discussion when it very well could be the underlying reason. You are the one that pointed out the double standard yet you don't want to discuss it? Seems to me you are the one trying to shut down discussion here ... or direct it on one path.

Yeah, but given the Twins it’s more likely a ‘hope and a prayer’ move. And he’ll make the roster out of ST.

Neither player spent their entire careers here. If they had, it’d been done prior, imo. If Santana goes into the Hall as a Twin, then yes. If not, no. That’s how I view it.

I think the only numbers to be retired should be an impact player who spends his entire career with the team and/or the next player to go into the HOF as a Twin. I have no idea what future or current player will accomplish that. Given that, Radke’s number should already be retired.

The OP claimed there was a double standard. He was quick to point out how Mauer's off-season workouts and conditioning were lax and yet no one from the FO did anything. Now we have Sano, who the OP has pointed out also has had lax off-seasons leading to improperly conditioned body ready to play. Yet the FO is scrutinizing him while never saying boo to Mauer. Okay ... so a double standard has been identified, I'm asking why is that? I'm wondering ... I mean ... gotta say it ... I think there's a reason for it ...

I want to hear from others ... the person I quoted basically said the same ol' stuff we've heard. I appreciate you gave a thoughtful response, but you are but one poster here.

No ... that isn't the overriding point ... the title specifically says there is a double standard. I want to talk about that double standard and identify what that is. We've already had many, many, many threads dedicated to both players and what they have or have not done in their off-season conditioning plans, whether we want to defend or criticize, there has been a difference in how the team has approached both players. That's the double standard ... let's talk about that instead of rehashing the same ol, same ol criticize/defend threads about what the players did/didn't do and talk about how the team's approach is different. This isn't about Joe Mauer and his plan and this isn't about Sano and his plan. This is about the FO and how they have approached each player and why they have approached their off-season in such drastically different ways. Why do you suppose Mauer was given such a bubble while Sano isn't getting the same? Could it be ... dare I say it ... that one is the nice, white boy with means from a nice private school and 'local hero' ... and the other, well, isn't? The purpose of this thread according to the title and to the OP, is to point out there's a double standard. But no one is talking about it. All they are talking about is what Mauer or Sano has or hasn't done and not what the team is doing or didn't do about it. Don't you wonder why one was treated with kid gloves while the other is being so scrutinized? Maybe it's as simple as the FO learned a lesson with how they treated Joe so they are now altering their approach. Different FO, different direction ... makes some sense. They weren't going to start with the long-term veteran when they took over a couple years ago, knowing that his time was coming to an end, so they started with present and future assets rather than past assets. Or ... perhaps there is something to how each player is viewed ... one a nice white boy from Minnesota, the other, well, not. If there's a double standard, as the OP has pointed out ... address it. Otherwise, let's stop doing the praise/criticize tired old nonsense that has been done to death. What do you think of that? Is there a double standard at play here, or is there just a different approach? Why is that?

That was my point. Why the double standard? I don’t think a discussion of there being a double standard can exist without discussing why it exists. While you are going about showing how one’s conditioning and training wasn’t subject to as much scrutiny as they other, I’m asking the ultimate question ... why does this double standard exist. We can all discuss what was with Mauer to death ... and we have. At this point it doesn’t matter what he did or didn’t do no matter what any of us thinks of Mauer or Sano. But I don’t understand how the question of a double standard can be raised without discussing why one thinks this is, otherwise it becomes the same discussion we’ve had many times over regarding both players. I think everyone has shown there are differences ... differences that have been beaten to death ... but the OP raised the concern of a double standard. That is worthy of discussion yet all anyone is doing is defending or disliking the individuals involved. I want to get beyond that dead end discussion and get to the root of the OP ... why is Sano being treated so differently than Mauer was? Why the double standard? What is the root of that? After all, wasn’t that the point of the OP? And my name is spelled Carole.

When we discuss double standards one must look at all that makes these players the same and what makes them different. How are Mauer and Sano different might be part of this equation. Look at photos of the two side by side and tell me what you see and maybe that has some bearing in why the two players are seemingly treated differently. The OP didn’t mention this but I think it warrants consideration.

That's why I think you pair him with someone like Brown.

I wonder what a pairing Brown (Pres) - O'Rourke (VP) would be like? I like both, but I think after Trump, we'd need a figure that would be more ... stablizing(?) than inspiration at this point ... which I think would be Brown. Then O'Rourke, the inspiration, would be nicely set up after that, whether or not Brown would win ... Or Brown - Harris?

There is a Rule 5 draft day discussion happening in the Twins Minor League forum ... please continue the conversation there. Thanks. http://twinsdaily.com/topic/31895-article-official-rule-5-draft-day-thread/?do=findComment&comment=809593

I wonder if Baldelli has reached out to Buxton yet, as he said that was one of the things he specifically said he was going to do.

Well, cork in a broad definition as they are made of plastic and not actual, uh, cork.

I like it.