Here is a good interview by Doogie Wolfson on KSTP with Twins GM Terry Ryan. Some good answers and good questions.

 

 

http://kstp.com/sports/twins-general-manager-terry-ryan-addresses-the-teams-slow-start/4145197/

 

The answers given here worry me even more than before.

You had a good run Terry, we all get old and our careers pass us all by one day.

Time to move on, please.

"This isn't the first time my head's been called for. I understand the responsibility of the chair."

 

This is problem with naming Terry Ryan GM for life ("until he doesn't want to anymore") like the Pohlads have said multiple times. Ryan basically knows it's his job until he retires, when you have that sort of job security you will begin to accept less than good results. Which IMO has been Ryan's main problem his entire 17+ year stint in Minnesota.

 

Additionally Terry Ryan once again seems to take zero responsibility for the collapse this year, "you can change people in the chair, but you gotta get it right on the field" Once again, a lot of these issues on the field could have been corrected prior to this year or years past:

i.e.

Catcher

Sano in RF

Lack of front of the rotation SP

Bullpen

 

Frustrating interview overall, Dougie tossed him a bunch of soft ball questions. Would be nice if someone in the media would actually ask something resembling a "tough" question.

Edited May 23, 201610 yr by DaveW

I don't think that TR accepts bad results. I don't think this is a misalignment of priorities or desire. I think it is skill set that is lacking. From TR on down.

 

Frustrating interview overall, Dougie tossed him a bunch of soft ball questions. Would be nice if someone in the media would actually ask something resembling a "tough" question.

What would you ask? 

I can't listen at work....but I'd ask this:

 

For three years now, you've trusted an unproven CF to take the job, and for three years it has failed. Why didn't you learn from the first two mistakes? (then, after his lame answer), I don't understand that answer, and it didn't really answer my question. Why did you start the year with three unproven OFers, and no veteran? (then, when he said there weren't any good ones....)....That's just not true. There were several players that could play CF available, one of whom has been one of the best players in baseball this year.

 

Why should any fan believe that you can turn this around, if you keep making the same mistake over and over?

 

Why didn't you sign any FA help in the bullpen, you said it was the top priority in the off season, and you didn't bring in 1 player on a MLB contract. If you thought the youth would step up, why isn't Chargois on this roster already? (after his "consistency" or patience answer).....so if you didn't sign any veterans because you thought youth would step up, and late May is too early to call the best one up, when did you plan to call them up? And, if not until June, you were just punting the bullpen the first 2 months of the year?

 

i'd start with those two, then go hard into the Sano/Plouffe situation, along with following up on Molitor's comments that they didn't have a plan for what to do if they won Park....

 

What would you ask? 

"The Twins are on pace now for their 5th 90+ loss season in 6 years, during which time the Twins have the worst overall record in baseball. At what point do you admit that the current approach isn't working, how do you fix it? The Twins haven't won a pennant in 25 seasons now, with a new stadium, 100+ mil in payroll and one playoff series win in the last 25 years don't you think it's time for a major overhaul of the way this organization thinks?"

 

With this track record, why should fans trust you and the rest of the FO are the ones to turn this around and bring back a championship caliber product to Minnesota?

Edited May 23, 201610 yr by DaveW

 

"The Twins are on pace now for their 5th 90+ loss season in 6 years, during which time the Twins have the worst overall record in baseball. At what point do you admit that the current approach isn't working, how do you fix it? The Twins haven't won a pennant in 25 seasons now, with a new stadium, 100+ mil in payroll and one playoff series win in the last 25 years don't you think it's time for a major overhaul of the way this organization thinks?"

 

With this track record, why should fans trust you and the rest of the FO are the ones to turn this around and bring back a championship caliber product to Minnesota?

"Uh...no." - Terry Ryan.

 

"The Twins are on pace now for their 5th 90+ loss season in 6 years, during which time the Twins have the worst overall record in baseball. At what point do you admit that the current approach isn't working, how do you fix it? The Twins haven't won a pennant in 25 seasons now, with a new stadium, 100+ mil in payroll and one playoff series win in the last 25 years don't you think it's time for a major overhaul of the way this organization thinks?"

 

With this track record, why should fans trust you and the rest of the FO are the ones to turn this around and bring back a championship caliber product to Minnesota?

 

"You said in November that bullpen was the highest priority, no moves other than a couple of minor league FA's were made.  As we sit here in late May, the ERA is 4.75, a full run above league Avg. Where did your plan to fix this go wrong?"

 

"You said in November that bullpen was the highest priority, no moves other than a couple of minor league FA's were made.  As we sit here in late May, the ERA is 4.75, a full run above league Avg. Where did your plan to fix this go wrong?"

Trusting that our young, awesome RPs in the minors were ready... Which they are not. For the 2nd year in a row. 

 

"Uh...no." - Terry Ryan.

"Hey Dave St Peter, this guy is being critical of the front office, as you know we only allow criticisms of the players around these here parts, can we pull his press pass please?"

 

Trusting that our young, awesome RPs in the minors were ready... Which they are not. For the 2nd year in a row. 

 

Which should surprise absolutely no one.  None of these guys were ever in the mix in Spring, what was the absolute best case scenario, 1 or 2 would be ready in Mid-May, 20% of the way through the season..?  At this point outside of Chargois, will we see any before August?

What would you ask?

Why do "top prospects" spend so much of their minor league careers in A ball and so little in AA and AAA and then get forced to the majors unpolished?

Edited May 24, 201610 yr by Sconnie