Interesting interview with Terry Ryan

[Mike Sixel]

Ben Revere for May and Worley......sigh.

[The Wise One]

Ryan has been the GM for 15-16 years. Besides the 2002-06 period his teams have been mediocre or worse.

 

In those years they have won one playoff series. I have a real hard time understanding how that record gets you a lifetime job.

 

In regards to playoff series wins, Beane ,O'Dowd,  Melvin, Moore, Hunnington Jennings and the guy in Seattle with a long funny name have all held their jobs for 5 years or more with very little playoff success. You bring up the lack playoff success as a reason fire a GM. 7 owners other than Pohlad do not think that is a criteria for a mid market team to change the GM. It might be in some people's thinking, but not to the ones signing paychecks. Make your bosses a few hundred million, you have value. That is how you get a percieved lifetime job

For what it is worth, I think the only reason Ryan came back is that when Pohlads were going to fire Smith they talked to Ryan. If they hired an outside the system GM, as there really wasn't anyone in house, Ryan might not have a consulting job. Ryan had to come back to the GM job to keep his lifetime job.

[JB_Iowa]

For what it is worth, I think the only reason Ryan came back is that when Pohlads were going to fire Smith they talked to Ryan. If they hired an outside the system GM, as there really wasn't anyone in house, Ryan might not have a consulting job. Ryan had to come back to the GM job to keep his lifetime job.

 

I don't think his motive was self-serving in that way.  I think he did it out of unending loyalty to the myriad other guys on the management team -- many of whom he had worked with for more than 20 years.  Both field staff and front office.

 

And that never-ending loyalty is one of my big problems with this team.  Loyalty can be a very good thing -- it can keep yo from making rash and hasty moves.  But too much loyalty is a bad thing - - it can prevent innovation, change and advancement.

[Squirrel]

Please keep this discussion pertinent, and let's not veer off on the humanity of Carl Pohlad.  Thanks.

[Rosterman]

We can talk about the mess in the search for starting pitchers. What was the criteria. Over-paying for Nolasco, Correia, Pelfrey. Hughes is good today, but he falls in the realm of a Radke or Tapani if he remains consistent.

 

Minor leagues are a crapshoot. Ryan called Joe Benson a multi-tooled talent. Aaron Hicks is a multi-tool talent but looks more like a plain old tool, especially when you consider that Santana and Vargas pretty much made the same jump with success, which my or may not last.

 

The minors are a crap shoot. I look at the Maple Street Press from 2011 and here are the prospects as Seth predicted who would make an impact in the coming years. They ALL should've been a part of the team, in some way, by now.

 

Starting Pitchers: Kyle Gibson, Liam Hendriks, Alex Wimmers, David Bromberg, Adrian Salcedo. The one to watch: Dan Osterbrock. The Sleeper: Martire Garcia.

 

Top 5 Relief Prospects: Carlos Gutierrez, Anthony Slama, Billy Bullock, Dakota Watts, Kyle Waldrop. One to Watch: Tony Davis. Sleeper: Jose Gonzalez. What happened here?

 

Catchers: Danny Rams, Jair Fernandez, Chris Herrmann. One to Watch: Danny Lehmann. Sleeper: Dan Rohlfing. (No Pinto)

 

Top 5 in the Infield: Miguel Sano, Chris Parmelee, Trevor Plouffe, Steve Singleton, Brian Dozier. One to Watch: James Beresford. Sleeper: Danny Santana. Did a little bit better here. Also mentioned were Niko Goodrum and Jorge Polanco.

 

Outfielders: Aaron Hicks, Joe Benson, Ben Revere, Oswaldo Arcia, Angel Morales. One to Watch: Max Kepler. Sleeper: Daniel Ortiz. The recovering Rene Tosoni was mentioned, as well as recent picks Nate Roberts and Eddie Rosario.

 

A couple are still on the horizon. Some fizzled. Some have bench strength. Many just disappeared. Hendriks might still have a career. Revere brought us Worley who we gave up on for cash...CASH!

 

38 prospects from 2011.

 

Made the Majors: 15

 

Still in System: 9 (or is it 10)

 

Yo rebuild a team by shrewd drafting, supplemental pickups of modest free agents, clever trades of promised depth, and correct free agent signings (which is a 50/50 I'll admit). Ypu do make a lot of mistakes and can't predict (tell me, who would you think would be playing centerfield - Santana or Hicks or Benson).

[The Wise One]

Please keep this discussion pertinent, and let's not veer off on the humanity of Carl Pohlad.  Thanks.

 Ryan worked for Carl. Ryan reported to Carl,. Ryan would have limitations imposed by Carl. One of the limitations Ryan had was that he had to work within the restraints of Pohlad and also what pleased Pohlad the most. What pleased Pohlad the most would define why to some he has a "lifetime" job.

[The Wise One]

Change GM's for the sake of change. Need new blood in the organization. That will change things. In the current baseball world that is a fallacy, especially for a small market team.

10 teams have changed GMs since the end of the 2010 season besides the Twins. In the immediate gratification department, 5 teams this season have a better winning percentage than when the GM took over, as does Ryan.  Dan Duquette is viewed as a bright man, he has turned around franchises before. His team has made the playoffs but not advanced. Jerry DiPoto has a large market team. His team is better, and should make the playoffs this year. Jeff Luhnow took over a team that could not be much worse. Like Ryan, he couldn't help but get a little better.  AJ Preller has been on the job about 2 weeks, His team has had a good couple of weeks.  Then there is Antonetti.  His team had a sniff in the playoffs. He came from within the organization.  The GM before him was not fired, but promoted.  Changing GMs is not a short term solution to a club being a championship level club.  There is only one Dan Duquette. Everyone else seems to prove that.

[The Wise One]

 

 

 

 

Yo rebuild a team by shrewd drafting, supplemental pickups of modest free agents, clever trades of promised depth, and correct free agent signings (which is a 50/50 I'll admit). Ypu do make a lot of mistakes and can't predict (tell me, who would you think would be playing centerfield - Santana or Hicks or Benson).

Correct free agents and modest free agent signings. I would love to know where the 50-50 stat of success rate came from.