Ideas for Replacing the Men in Charge

[nicksaviking]

Sorry, nope, I don't have any personally.

 

However we've largely been getting overly anxious and pointing fingers at who we think is to blame for the current mess. Of course one of the problems with flagrant blame is that any solutions get lost in the ruckus, or are absent entirely. So hypothetically assuming the culprit(s) of your choosing get the axe, who should replace him/them?

 

Presuming owner is beyond a guess or reason, the three big spots would be President, GM and field manager. Let's hear some thoughts and brainstorm a solution instead of scream ourselves into an aneurysm.

[Mike Sixel]

I'll have to give that some thought.....but I want someone willing to change things.

 

The Sox and Mariners made defense a priority this off season, did something about it, and now have 2 of the best defenses in the game (SSS alert). The Twins made the bullpen a priority, and um, well, um. 

 

I would look for someone with a plan, and the fortitude to stick to the plan. I would ask questions about bunting and good outs and other old timey cliches, and weed out the people that don't seem to believe in shifts, but love bunts.......

[DaveW]

Back up the brinks truck to Andy McPhail, bring him in to be pres. Let him pick out the rest of the guys.

[nicksaviking]

I liked what the Cubs a Dodgers did, stealing a well respected GM and promoting him to President

 

Could the Twins go that with someone like John Mozeliak? I see his assistant GM is a numbers guy, he could come along as GM.

[Winston Smith]

Not going to happen, imo. But if by some bolt of  lightning hits Mr Pohlad he'll just promote someone already in the system which is presently a total failure, his words.

[nicksaviking]

Back up the brinks truck to Andy McPhail, bring him in to be pres. Let him pick out the rest of the guys.

McPhail worked with a ton of these guys. Would he even replace Ryan? I like McPhail, but if the goal is to get rid of the country club, well he started it.

[nicksaviking]

Not going to happen, imo. But if by some bolt of  lightning hits Mr Pohlad he'll just promote someone already in the system which is presently a total failure, his words.

Well cue the word hypothetical. This thread is for ideas, not complaining.

[Bark's Lounge]

As the Cubs did with Epstein, hiring him away from Boston to become their president. Maybe the Twins doing the same with Hoyer or Zaidi would be a wise move... somewhat risky, but it would be forward thinking, something that has seemingly been lacking around these parts for a while. I think they would be hard to get and would require a king's ransom.

[Vanimal46]

I don't really have names to throw out here.. However, I think I would target someone from a team that's had sustained success, knows how to develop players, and dealt with some financial limitations.

 

So maybe someone from:

 

St Louis- seems like the cupboard was always full in the minors. Not as much financial limitations as the Twins.

 

Pittsburgh - more financial limitations than the Twins, good recent track record of developing players.

 

Tampa Bay - They'd be in heaven working with a budget over $100 million

 

Baltimore - maybe it's just my perception, but until recently I thought they had a limited budget to work with.

 

Kansas City - mid-market, player development, division foe.

[Twinfan & Dad]

Michael Girsch Asst. GM Cardinals...Great organization and spend within their means which of course is what he'd be asked to do by our owners.

[Thrylos]

Outside the box and outside the organization:

 

Hire a proven winner who is respected by everyone in the game and wants to run a team as the President of baseball operations and give him carte blanche to do anything he wants with the people here.

 

Three words:

Cal Ripken Junior

[DaveW]

 

McPhail worked with a ton of these guys. Would he even replace Ryan? I like McPhail, but if the goal is to get rid of the country club, well he started it.

Pohlads should fire Ryan+Antony+Radcliff+more, THEN hire McPhail, who hasn't been in Minnesota for quite some time.  He has rebuilt Philly pretty quickly IMO

[Twinfan & Dad]

As far as a manager Dave Martinez will get a job soon. Been under Maddon for a while.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

As far as a manager Dave Martinez will get a job soon. Been under Maddon for a while.

I don't know. Martinez has been in line for a managerial job for at least 5 years, but no one bites. Is there something wrong with this guy, that rubs FO's and ownership the wrong way?

[USAFChief]

I have an irrational love for Dave Martinez, and wish he had gotten the job instead of Molitor.

 

I like to follow winners, so despite having no expertise to draw from, I would look to Epstein's staff in Chicago. I really like how they've gone about quickly building that team.

Two names I like are AGM Randy Bush (Twins cred!) and VP of Player Development Jason McLeod.

[Bark's Lounge]

I like Martinez, I just have a hard time understanding why he has not received a managing gig yet. He would be #1 on my list if I was looking for a manager.

[Rosterman]

You have ownership and the Executive Committee, who look at the bottom line,see the empty seats, count the profits, see the increase in franchise worth, worry about getting the middle finger shown to them when riding in their chauffered limos about town.

 

Right now we have a president who is brand, image and business minded, compared to one who would delegate those jobs to three vice presidents, oversee the brand, and also have some knowledge of overall baseball operations from drafting to player development to seeing what is on the field and making decisions to improve that part of the brand.

 

Of course, would have a top flight general manager who would oversee all of the above and make suggestions and reports with more expert knowledge. Maybe the GM doesn't have to rely on a farm director totally for the farm, or an assistant to totally negotiate contracts. The guy in charge of players and how they fit into the longterm picture of the organization.

 

We have the manager, who takes what the gm gives them. Discusses the type of team and play that should happen at the major league level, and runs with it. Defense? More hard throwers? Runners? Sluggers? Has a plan, and also a fleet of coaches who work with that plan.

 

We aren't changing ownership. If anything, we have a passive owner who doesn't look for even the glad-handing of other owners. A laid back Scrooge McDuck with the Moneybin.

 

The current president is not a baseball man. He's a businessman with a love and understanding of the business of baseball and if nothing else proves it, it is the fact that Target Field was the expression of the Twins brand the first couple of years  and the constant talk of this guy from new drinking clubs to bigger and brighter scoreboards.

 

Our general manager is an old school baseball guy who likes watching games and viewing players and evaluating skill sets initially. I'm not sure how much he himself enjoys moving names around on boards, looking not only at who the guys are and their attitude (or maybe looks for just certain attitudes) but maybe consults a bit too much with people being inbred with "The Twins Way" which really seemed to be an offshoot of something Tom Kelly did back in spring training one year that was adapted by the system as a whole and makes for good all-around baseball...if baseball was still run by teams and if the players weren't employed, basically, by teams acting in the interest of major league baseball and the player's association as a whole. Our current general manager scores big on dumpster diving, but somehow comes up short in the department of hanging onto folks too long and see the investment become worthless. And even though we complain about purse strings, he ahs made a lot of a-okay players very rich if they wish to come to Minnesota, which will be harder to do than ever if this season plays out as is...not that we need any free agents with all the prospects.

 

Which brings us to manager. Something is not clicking. Is it the leader, is it his crew. If it is the players, then there is something missing between the players and the field crew that is far from comfortable. Do we need a hardnose. Do we need a good-old clubhouse guy. 

 

If anything, ownership has to make the decision of partnering with someone, anyone, who has real baseball smarts. Offer them the world to make this baseball club into a top flight organization. It will cost money. Or you keep it as a family everyone works for and is happy and secure and all we have to do is give the illusion that we are competing and hope we do compete and maybe get lucky and something tremendous, like a World Series, happens again.

 

I would love to see someone come in and totally run the organization. It would be a challenge, and I'm sure there are guys that would be honored and happy and loved to be paid to do this. But they become the New King, have a spot on the executive committee, and hire other really solid baseball guys that WILL take the team in a direction...any direction...but the one they are going now.

 

 

[DaveW]

Mark DeRosa

[Hrbowski]

 

Mark DeRosa

He is going to be the next Braves manager.

[Hrbowski]

President of Baseball Operations: Dan Kantrovitz

GM: Tyrone Brooks

Manager: Raul Ibanez

Bench Coach: John Baker

 

That brings you a diverse group of young people from various successful organizations, and they handle themselves well with the media.

[USAFChief]

President of Baseball Operations: Dan Kantrovitz

GM: Tyrone Brooks

Manager: Raul Ibanez

Bench Coach: John Baker

 

That brings you a diverse group of young people from various successful organizations, and they handle themselves well with the media.

Well thought out.

[jctwins]

On this subject, as I left today's game I saw Jim Pohlad in the Legends Club. It took everything inside of me not to say something to him right there. The first thought I would have is "sell the team to someone that wants to win."

 

hen I saw St. Peter going up the steps to the suite level and decided not to waste the opportunity (along with having a couple of beers in me), so I told him "It's time for a new voice to this club." He thanked me and continued up the stairs.

 

Part of me really wonders if these guys get it, and I have to think perhaps acting slightly obnoxious toward them might be what it takes to make them more uncomfortable.

 

 

[Mr. Brooks]

On this subject, as I left today's game I saw Jim Pohlad in the Legends Club. It took everything inside of me not to say something to him right there. The first thought I would have is "sell the team to someone that wants to win."

 

hen I saw St. Peter going up the steps to the suite level and decided not to waste the opportunity (along with having a couple of beers in me), so I told him "It's time for a new voice to this club." He thanked me and continued up the stairs.

 

Part of me really wonders if these guys get it, and I have to think perhaps acting slightly obnoxious toward them might be what it takes to make them more uncomfortable.

All that is going to do is get you thrown into whatever gulag they have alex meyer in.

[alarp33]

 

 

Manager: Raul Ibanez

 

 

I'll take a hard pass on another former player with no managerial experience.  Which of these has worked out? Matheny? Even he gets plenty of scrutiny, he just has had really good rosters. 

[ScottyB]

 

President of Baseball Operations: Dan Kantrovitz

GM: Tyrone Brooks

Manager: Raul Ibanez

Bench Coach: John Baker

 

That brings you a diverse group of young people from various successful organizations, and they handle themselves well with the media.

 

Two years ago I said we needed to bring in Kantrovitz.  He was great with St. Louis and now has 2 years with the A's under his belt.  (I said this BEFORE he was hired by the A's.)  He's blocked by Billy Beane and would be a major upgrade from either St. Peter or Ryan.

[HitInAPinch]

 

Outside the box and outside the organization:

 

Hire a proven winner who is respected by everyone in the game and wants to run a team as the President of baseball operations and give him carte blanche to do anything he wants with the people here.

 

Three words:

Cal Ripken Junior

Maybe I missed it.  Has he been involved in the front office anywhere?

[d-mac]

 

I have an irrational love for Dave Martinez, and wish he had gotten the job instead of Molitor.

I like to follow winners, so despite having no expertise to draw from, I would look to Epstein's staff in Chicago. I really like how they've gone about quickly building that team.
Two names I like are AGM Randy Bush (Twins cred!) and VP of Player Development Jason McLeod.

 

Heh, Randy Bush, hehehe. Apparently I'm 12 years old. 

[Hrbowski]

 

Two years ago I said we needed to bring in Kantrovitz.  He was great with St. Louis and now has 2 years with the A's under his belt.  (I said this BEFORE he was hired by the A's.)  He's blocked by Billy Beane and would be a major upgrade from either St. Peter or Ryan.

This is actually Kantrovitz's second stint with the A's.

[nicksaviking]

I'll take a hard pass on another former player with no managerial experience.  Which of these has worked out? Matheny? Even he gets plenty of scrutiny, he just has had really good rosters.

 

All but five MLB managers were one time MLB players. Seems like you would be substantially shrinking the pool of availability if former players were excluded.

[ScottyB]

 

This is actually Kantrovitz's second stint with the A's.

 

I knew that - I meant to say hired back by the A's.  His previous experience in international operations, statistical analysis and scouting for the draft gives him an outstanding background.  And working for the Cardinals organization is always a plus.