Since the flurry of moves that came around the time of that comment, no other moves of substance have taken place.  There was no wholesale movement to improve the team.  If it weren't for injuries, the likes of Buxton and Kepler might still be in AAA.  So not only have they not learned a thing, they've done very little in the way of trying to overcome what got them there in the first place.

Since the flurry of moves that came around the time of that comment, no other moves of substance have taken place.  There was no wholesale movement to improve the team.  If it weren't for injuries, the likes of Buxton and Kepler might still be in AAA.  So not only have they not learned a thing, they've done very little in the way of trying to overcome what got them there in the first place.

Right, it was a comment that made them essentially a legitimate laughing stock, and then has been followed up by inaction from within.

Right, it was a comment that made them essentially a legitimate laughing stock, and then has been followed up by inaction from within.

Agreed.  Polhad's comment is a very stark contrast from that of the Padres owner, whose team just unloaded their key offseason pitching acquisition.  We'll see if there are more moves made from the Padres, but they've already shown more of a willingness to change what ails them than the Twins have.

You can't publicly state that it was a "total system failure" and then do virtually nothing about it and be taken seriously.

Agreed.  Polhad's comment is a very stark contrast from that of the Padres owner, whose team just unloaded their key offseason pitching acquisition.  We'll see if there are more moves made from the Padres, but they've already shown more of a willingness to change what ails them than the Twins have.

 

You can't publicly state that it was a "total system failure" and then do virtually nothing about it and be taken seriously.

More often than not, what separates a smart person and a dumb person, is that the former realizes a mistake and addresses it. The latter sees the mistake and believes it will fix itself.

An out-of-touch owner, who is standing in a box somewhere and smiling as the Twins continue to draw halfway decent crowds as summer begins. That's it, the bottom line, the belief that the Target Field experience outweighs what is on the field as long as attendance is north of 20,000.

Yet the Twins have a roster filled with Grossman and Nunez, who have lit up the diamond and created a need to play everyday, because they actually do come to play everday and produce.

But the Twins are sitting on a herd of batters who need prodding or off-loading: Plouffe and Dozier are no longer top-of-the-order requirements. Mauer is hogging first base and doesn't produce enough (in the last month) to be roster fixture or a DH. Suzuki has no one pushing him, yet Centeno is doing his darndest to be a major league guy. Better than nothing Murphy at the moment, I guess.

The next couple of weeks will tell us if Buxton is ready and Kepler, too. If they play. Sano re-enters the picture soon, but SHOULD be at third at the moment. The outfield is already too crowded with Grossman/Buxton/Kepler and Arcia in the wings. We also have Danny Santana who should be an infielder but will be a guy without a home who also was producing far better than, say, a Dozier or a Plouffe.

The Twins need to make changes in the bullpen. They have one arm too many.

Jepsen is a disaster as the clower.

May is overused than not used and is a short relief guy or a middle relief guy. Make up a mind, here. Tonkin, Kintzler, Boshers are all fodder but prodicng better than most expected and will stay as long as they pitch. Pressley has options and will be the first to go, unless the wish to bounce Rogers back-and-forth again. Abad has his situational spot locked up.

There is not spot for Chargolis yet?

The starting staff is a disaster. Duffey is down-to-earth and reminds us of the back-of-the-rotation guys that show up every year. Dean gets another start to prove he stays. The expensive guys have produced a 4-16 record one-third of the way thru the season. Add in Kyle Gibson and you have a 4-19 record and the ugliest whip and era that you have ever seen from the starting rotation. All of these guys could basically go and be replaced by minor league guys making mistakes in the majors and get equal results...but may be the future of the Twins rather than the salary clog the rotation seems to have become and the free agency downer that the front office will refer to in years-to-come when NOT throwing out big contracts. What the front office doesn't realize is that only SOME players deserve a big contract. You don't overpay because that is the only way someone will come to the team, and you don't need to overpay for year-to-year replaceable guys just to tell the fan base that you are spending money. You spend money wisely on players that WILL produce, offer your team value, or just throw the money at your own players THAT YOU WISH TO KEEP because they have produced for you in the past and deserve a better payday and it won't kill you to part ways before the contract expires (shades of Joe Mauer at this point).

We have to totally forget the illusion that there is a "Twins Way" of doing things. Now, it is just the name of a street. We have to forget that it is okay to just be competitive. In this game, you either try and go for the gold, or you lose. You get x-amount of years to say "rebuild" but if a winning team falters, it better be totally because of the talent on the field fighting injury or...just not being good enough against ALL the other teams.

As we look at the Central Division, ALL the teams have made efforts in the off-season to improve themselves. It looked to be the tightest division in baseball, and appears to be so (except for the Twins) with just a series win here or there deciding the division outcome. The teams that do care will start making some decisions (like the White Sox on Shields) to hopefully pull in front. That is the way of baseball...not JUST looking at the waiver wire and grabbing guys fighting back from Indy ball. There is a reason longterm minor league guys aren't major league stars. They have the ability to shine, but the system does catch up to them. Getting more than two years out of many is a dream (just go back and look at ALL those names the Twins have had for a season or two).

Shane Robinson, Jordan Schafer, Doug Bernier, Chris Colabello, Sam Fuld, Darin Mastroianni, Pedro Florimon, Clete Thomas, Alex Presley, Wilkin Ramirez, Sean Burroughs, Erik Komatsu, Jason Repko, Rene Rivera, Eric Fryer, Steve Holm, Orlando Hudson, Matt Fox, James Hoey, Chuck James, Matt Capps, Ron Mahay, Brian Fuentes, Jon Rauch, Phil Dumatrait, Lester Oliveros, Eric Hacker, Luis Perdomo, Jeff Gray, Matt Maloney, Jason Marquis, Shairon Martis, Josh Roenicke, Andrew Albers, PJ Walters, Dam Decuno, Jared Burton, Kris Johnson, Logan Darnell, Yohan Pino, Kevin Correia, Aaron Thompson, Neal Cotts, AJ Achter, Blaine Boyer, Caleb Thielbar, Anthony Slama and Dusty Hughes.

Many of these guys even put up decent short-term numbers with the Twins. But where did they go after that and where are they now.

An awful lot of fodder, and the teams of this decade have shown the results of being a "good team to sign with as a minor league free agent because you may get another shot at the majors."

The Twins seem to avoid saying the word "rebuild." They like "advancing forward" or "still contending" or "solid play" of "just some bad luck" or "unpredictable injuries" or the all-time forever favorite "total system failure." 

I don't think the system, as in farm system, is a failure. There is so much talent brewing and about to come to the top. But I am totally afraid on how it is being handled or will be handled once it reaches. The cream blown off, the cream mixed in with the sledge at the bottom, everything jettisoned down some drain because the system is not working with the true potential of the future?

4 wins against Seattle almost gave up hope. But is was nothing. The players are still wavering their stats a little bit up then a lot down. They come to the park and play, but for what...themselves and a future contract (you'd think they would do that for sure)? Just going thru the motions? Not knowing what is happening on the field (how many different lineups in the first almost 50 games). And if we have such a loser attitude going...let those overpaid average starters stay in the game and take a pounding...at least let the players work on their fielding since they aren't doing anything at the plate.

The Twins big questions are: selling off players for something, anything, to restock the lower levels of the system. Jettisoning contracts and eating the remainder and calling it a 2016 budget line...not that they will need to spend any money on free agents in 2017 and probably 2018. Getting a staff who will welcome and work hard with the rookies, the sophomores, the future of the team...doing a bit up-and-down, but running with these guys and nurturing their continued development at the major league level. And having a front office that is keeping pace with modern baseball, realizing that the most important part of the Twins Brand IS the players on the field, not the Field itself, or the fan experience when the game isn't happening (i see more fun and excitement in indy ball than most of the in-between innings stuff we get on the scoreboard and field now -- plus the players modeling shirts...give me a break). It's sheer torture with the pregame jousting and umpteen throwings of first pitches and ballkid and dugout buddy (although it is fun to see the smiles on the faces of the kids...but everything is sponsored by something...yucch). 

I don't know how an out-of-touch ownership will change a front office built on marketing and branding and an in-house family of people who like baseball, but do they actually know and do baseball. Or a field staff that doesn't seem to mesh with the players, possibly even themselves, or the system as a whole. Or a team that is madeup now of a sorry sight of 13 system players (4 current prospects if you can call them that), two guys from trades, 7 minor league free agents and 6 many horrible free agents. You figure out the names. Half of them DON'T deserve to be with the Twins next season...so why are they here in this dismal season of 2016?!?

I tire, I keep watching. I cheer. I spend my $40-50 a head to go to the game. Sigh..

More often than not, what separates a smart person and a dumb person, is that the former realizes a mistake and addresses it. The latter sees the mistake and believes it will fix itself.

Agreed.  It's okay to make a mistake, it happens.  What you can't do is continue to compound the mistake by doing absolutely nothing to fix it.

I think Evan Longoria signs a deal with an AL central team when he's an FA so he can go after Bond's record... goodness.  5 HRs in a series?