Article: Torii Hunter: Filling the Attitude Gap

[Thrylos]

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On paper the Minnesota Twins' reunion with 39 year old Torii Hunter last night seems a bit puzzling. Rational thinking suggests that a team coming back from seasons of 99, 96, 96 and 92 losses, and lacking primarily in pitching and defense, would want an aging 39-year-old outfielder with diminishing defensive skills as the marquee transaction of the off-season as much as a painful communicable disease.Not to mention that the particular outfielder added insult, signing with a team within the Twins division two seasons ago, to the 2007 injury of leaving the Twins as a free agent for more money elsewhere. But that is rational thinking.

 

Any person who has followed the Twins should know that this is business as usual for Terry Ryan's front office. There is no need to rationalize Hunter's signing. It makes perfect sense, if you realize that this is how Terry Ryan builds a team. Here is the complete Terry Ryan transaction record from

the 1995-2006 seasons and 2012. I posted that before the last two off-seasons. The Torii Hunter signing fits Ryan's modus operandi like a glove: Ryan re-signed a 41- year-old Paul Molitor in 1998, reunited the Twins with a 35-year-old Mike Trombley in 2002 and a washed out Matt LeCroy (the player whom he chose over David Ortiz after 2002) in 2007, re-signed Capps in 2012 and Carl Willis in 2005 (to release them both later) in addition to last year's washed out trio of Bartlett, Kubel and Guerrier. This is the same general manager who brought old and washed out Tony Batista, Tim Raines, Rueben Sierra, Bob Tewksbury, Otis Nixon, Mike Morgan, Michael Jackson and Sidney Ponson (among others) as "solutions". Old and washed out is Terry Ryan's specialty. Nothing new here, nothing to be rationalized. Business. As. Usual.

 

Back to non-rational thinking. One of the biggest problems with the Twins over the past four seasons (and beyond, as far as the post-season goes) is that they seemed to be OK with losing and they seemed to not give 100% all the time. Last spring training this became painfully obvious to me, and led me to where I just cannot see this team winning, no matter the improvements on paper (and there were a lot).

 

Getting rid of Gardenhire and most of his friends who were at least OK with this attitude is a step to the right direction. I am hopeful that Molitor and his staff will install a winning attitude among the players. Torii Hunter, punching short utility teammates while targeting rookie stars notwithstanding, has had the reputation of playing hard and giving it his all... and to keep working... and then work some more. Hopefully, he will bring the right attitude to a team with so many young players with so much potential. Hopefully, he will be an example of hard work and never giving up... and never stop working. Not that I like the signing, rationally, but when it pours lemons... On the other hand, Torii Hunter was a core member of the Gardenhire teams that went belly up in the post-season.

 

I hope that 2015 is different.

 

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch

 

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[The Wise One]

Hmm. Tewksbury miht have been washed up but his ERA was under 4.5  Rick Porcello was mentioned as a trade target and his career ERA is within what Tewksbuy's was. Just a nitpick.

Look over the list of players that are free agents.  When Hunter was signed what other option was there on the market. At the end of the year in hindsight you could point to an all star team of inexpensive players.  What inexpensive rf should have they taken?

 

Hunter had a poor series against the Angels, every other series he was more than respecable. To denigrate Hunter because the team sucked is a needless attempt to manipulate without using fact.

[Linus]

Seems like this article is about Terry Ryan more than Torri's attitude.

[twinsfaninsaudi]

Torii Hunter's OPS+ last year was 114. Jordan Schaefer's was 75. Josh Willingham's was 96. Jason Kubel's was 73. Is it really so far fetched to ascertain that adding Hunter is an increase in outfield production for this team?

[twinsfaninsaudi]

"re-signed Capps in 2012 and Carl Willis in 2005"

 

Suppose it is only a matter of time before someone points out here that Carl Willis was the pitching coach for Cleveland in 2005. Maybe you meant 1995?

[Thrylos]

"re-signed Capps in 2012 and Carl Willis in 2005"

 

Suppose it is only a matter of time before someone points out here that Carl Willis was the pitching coach for Cleveland in 2005. Maybe you meant 1995?

 

Indeed   Decade mixup

[jorgenswest]

As long as we have the attitude gap filled, who cares about the one in left center.

[HitInAPinch]

If attitude did not come from the manager and coaching staff, it's sure not going come from a 39 year old with declining skills.  For $10mil, I can hire a lot of cheerleaders!

[bird]

The importance of an individual player's "makeup" is way underrated in my view. On the other hand, I really question the assumption that an individual's "leadership" often can have a large impact on the performance of those around him. My guess is that this notion is way overrated.

[Dantes929]

Molitor was a great acquisition.  If Hunter produces like Molitor in his first year this is a great signing One would think from the article that signing old players is all that Ryan did and that the Twins were really bad during his reign.   As far as I am concerned the worst move was Bartlett and that is less for the signing and more for the including him on the 25 man.

[kellyvance]

What a tedious and biased article.  I am sorry, but posting a faux analysis piece while really just bloviating about Ryan is bogus. Torii Hnter has been a winner for many years. He is a leader and still can drive in runs. He is exactly what this team needs.

 

If I were you, I'd take note that several people like the posts that disagree with you in one way or another. Wiseone, linus and twins saudi fan, right on.

[GoGonzoJournal]

Couldn't be more right, Thrylos.

[stringer bell]

I'm not a fan of the Hunter signing and I am skeptical of him providing intangibles to make the Twins a winner.  Hunter serves as a great example and he does compete, but the key is performing on the field.  I disagree with the veiled reference that the Twins don't try or that they give up.  Just because they are, by and large, "nice guys" doesn't mean they want to win more or less than vocal, emotional players.  I don't think that judging by spring training appearances is a good idea. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

From a defensive standpoint, I don't like it, but with diminishing skills, is Hunter going to be worse than Hammer and Kubel? I'm hardpressed to think that he's gotten that bad. On the flip side, another good bat for the lineup that was 6 or 7th in producing runs last year (which is even more impressive given how bad they were at the beginning of the season)...

[old nurse]

The title said "attitude gap"

When you look back at the Tom Kelly Twins it was said that no one worked harder than they did. They did extra. Sometimes I get the impression that the team has lost that. Fundamentals, basics, repetitions. Perhaps Hunter is a throwback to that time as he came up when some were still here he had that kind of work ethic. It is not 100% on the field, it is the 100% off the field that may be missing.

 

According to baseball edge 381of some degree of catchable balls were hit to RF. 55 ended up not caught. They did, according to Inside Edge, lead the league in 0% balls caught in RF. Hunter was better in geting to balls that they thought a RF should get to. He did not get to any that were not in range. I Hunter probably knows how to play the hops, angles and back up the cf better.  I do not know if it will make it a wash have a better outcome when the ball is bouncing out there.

 

 

Back in the day the Twins were a low revenue team, low budget team. I don't really care what Ryan did then. It is a different set  of circumstances now,. Free agent compensation is different. The Twin's revenue stream is different. The 2011 team that Ryan took over had  14 players making over 2 mill a year. Only Baker and Cuddyer were worth the money. He doesn't want to get in that situation again. The stats projectiion guys must have shown him some worth for the Hunter contract.