Agree. Berrios is just part of the larger pattern. Poor kid.

Agree. Berrios is just part of the larger pattern. Poor kid.

By no means has he pitched well, but the pattern of lunacy displayed around young players and the lack of development this staff has been able to claim credit for is appalling. 

Everyone is caught up in make up defines this kid and scouting reports define this kid.  Sometimes it is just the right time when it's the right time.  We as fans have nothing to say or do with that time frame.  Buxton will be a star.  Berrios will be a quality MLB pitcher some day.  Many of our prospects will be successful at the MLB level.  It just may not be when we want it to happen.  "Patience is a virtue" -  No matter how bad we want to win now.

Everyone is caught up in make up defines this kid and scouting reports define this kid.  Sometimes it is just the right time when it's the right time.  We as fans have nothing to say or do with that time frame.  Buxton will be a star.  Berrios will be a quality MLB pitcher some day.  Many of our prospects will be successful at the MLB level.  It just may not be when we want it to happen.  "Patience is a virtue" -  No matter how bad we want to win now.

While all those things are true, and likely, there's little denying that Paul Molitor and the current staff haven't hindered the process of being a reality at this point.

One of Molitors reason for the demotions, was to protect the team? From what? And if Albers is "The Protector", why wasn't he here before this. They don't seem to get it. It isn't that these guys aren't struggling, it's that they have mastered AAA. What's to learn there, but more bad habits which you can easily get away with. What a mess!

The most important and perhaps the only value in a coaching staff is bringing along the talent and maximizing potential.  When that falls flat over and over the coaching staff is at fault.  

Of course players contribute to their own problems, but we have seen too much to be repeated. 

Just absolutely shaking my head at this staff. There have got to be some changes made here. There is a pattern developing that is simply not acceptable. Don't play...then play. Come up....go down. The new GM absolutely has to have the authority to make changes in the dugout as well.

While I didn't like so many voices in Berrios's ear, sending him down made the world of sense. It's hard to blame Molitor for them optioning Berrios. I was hoping he wouldn't have to, but he was lost, control was terrible. Making him do that every fifth day was doing him no good.

While I didn't like so many voices in Berrios's ear, sending him down made the world of sense. It's hard to blame Molitor for them optioning Berrios. I was hoping he wouldn't have to, but he was lost, control was terrible. Making him do that every fifth day was doing him no good.

I think what I would've done differently at this point is to tell him stop worrying about what everyone has told him. For the last month, just go pitch. Don't think, don't work on all this stuff people are trying to fix. Go find out what works for you. That's likely what he's going to do at Triple-A and there he's already mastered it.

They could have let him pitch in relief. I still don't understand why they didn't consider a temporary stint in the bullpen for him last September and now this season.

Yeah, this coaching staff is pretty bad.  Hopefully the GM search shows Pohlad that Molitor is part of the problem.

+1 just for the headline and thank you for the article.

Too bad there are no heat maps for the minor leagues to see if there is a difference in Berrios' control minors versus majors. Likely the minor league players swing at more of his balls out of the zone than the major league batters do. Likely the calls are not as favorable. There is a large number for Berrios missing the strike zone. A 12.9% walk rate is not on any coaching staff. They likely talked a quite a bit about control.

It is also likely he is not as effective from the stretch.

I realize many people look at minor league numbers and think they translate well to the major leagues. Not every team has a roster of players with poor plate discipline. If only he could face a team of Arcias.

I wish I could be so smart as to blame the coaching. Any player still owns their own performance. When things go wrong there have been multiple people telling him things. If I was smart and knew what was said early on to Berrios and his reaction and/or learning, that it is the coaching would be an easier sell.

Wise One, I've never understood this line of thinking.  So many folks say coaching matters little in baseball.  Really?  Joe Maddon and his staff don't matter in Chicago?  Terry Francona and his staff don't matter in Cleveland?  Is it all on the players there.  Off the Baggy is dead-on.  There is a severe development problem, and has been for years, in this franchise.  The Twins MLB staff is clearly falling well short.  However, I concede that it's systematic and the minor league staffs are doing a woeful job of preparing players for the big leagues.  The new President of Baseball Operations can't come soon enough.  This whole thing needs to be turned upside down. 

But is there some coaching strength in the kinors. Is Dougie and Mike and Jake quality managers getting the msot out of the prospects. Do we hear good works about Chad Allen and Tommy Watkins? Is Jim Dwyer actually a solid hitting coach? Is Cliburn, Artega, Bonilla the real thing?

Do the Twins have a solid analytical guy in Joe Vavra? I listen to Bruno talk on the radio and like it, but maybe he needs to be the minor league hitting coordinator, if we trust him with that responsibility.

Some of these minor league guys have been around...forever.

But looking at the major leagues...did we make right choices by bringing in new blood. We essentially have two pitching coaches in Eddie and Neil. We have three hitting coaches in Vavra and Bruno and Hernandez. We have Butch and Gene doing something. And we have one of the better hitters ever in Molitor who knows and loves the game...but does he know and love the players? He has worked throughout the Twins system, but I'm not sure what he is doing up here in Year Two. The lineup. Has he figured out where to bat whom when yet?

Of course, the new GM will have some say in this. The new President of Baseball Operations could do a major housecleaning (or will be doing a lot of interviews of folks already with the organization).

But something is amiss. You big guys are failing (Sano to some extent, Berrios who is still early, Buxton who was rushed) yet you can see success in Rosario, Kepler, Santana, Polanco. Wow! Those are 7 powerful names to have on a 25-man roster. We shouldn't be...this...bad.

Wise One, I've never understood this line of thinking.  So many folks say coaching matters little in baseball.  Really?  Joe Maddon and his staff don't matter in Chicago?  Terry Francona and his staff don't matter in Cleveland?  Is it all on the players there.  Off the Baggy is dead-on.  There is a severe development problem, and has been for years, in this franchise.  The Twins MLB staff is clearly falling well short.  However, I concede that it's systematic and the minor league staffs are doing a woeful job of preparing players for the big leagues.  The new President of Baseball Operations can't come soon enough.  This whole thing needs to be turned upside down. 

You need the heat maps  to determine if there is any difference in how he is pitching in the minors versus the majors.. Do you get that concept?  Deception works better in the minors, less capable  batters in pitch recognition are in the minors.  So is Berrios getting people out in the minors on the same stuff he threw in the majors?  Answer that question and you will know if it is Berrios or the coaching.   So thinking 'where might all that contribute  to  the problems come from'  is a type of thinking that you do not get?   What motivation does a pitcher in the minors, striking out batters and getting high prospect status have to listen to coaching when what he is doing is working?  The other direction is why would a coach change what a player is doing if it is working? it is totally possible that in the minors the coaches are more worried about wins and losses than development and fundamentals. Coaching does matter. Do the Twin's minor leagues have deficient coaching or deficient reception to the coaching?   The answer lies in between, but where