Why does your average Twins fan hate Falvine?

[ffwfed31]

About me I want the Twins to win more than anything else I don't care if Gardy is managing, our best player is from St. Paul or Germany, if we are using an opener, Dave St. Peter is giving away 2 for 1 beers or Mike Pelfrey battles his tail off, I just want to win.  I read this site all the time and twitter and everything Twins related but rarely say much but I have to get it off my chest.

 

Why does the average Twins fan hate Falvey?  I feel like this early season attendance problem is tied directly to the front office.  This state just doesn't like Derek Falvey and it boggles my mind.  I don't know if it is the 20 years of hearing getting the bunts down on our TV broadcasts or if it is resentment to the computer nerd tag or age.  I feel like Vegas had us at 84 wins, the national media was kind of like watch out for this team but everyone around here was acting like this was going to be an awful season.

 

While last years offseason can only be called a nightmare we still won 78 games with Bobby Wilson, Logan Morrision getting many at bats and Sano Buxy Dozier being awful.  The good news though was we didn't hand out long deals and almost every stiff we signed is gone (except Reed but he fills the quota of needing one "Reeder" in Twins territory).  This is a major key because in the past we signed stiffs to long term deals you just couldn't cut bait on.

 

That is why I don't understand the angst of most Twins fans about this regime.  Falvey took over a 59 win team with a bad farm system and some bad contracts, turned things around and we have little money tied up going forward.  I know there is no salary cap in baseball but the Twins have a salary cap or salary ceiling.  They have also invested a lot in technology that seems to be helping and dealing with guys on a personal level.  I like that Rocco went to meet guys in the offseason and I love his demeanor and attitude with our young guys.  I hate my fellow millennials but the job is to get to them and not complain about them. But everywhere people tell me they hate these guys and they have done nothing.  (even local fm radio hosts)  

 

The key to this turn around was patience and not signing stupid deals.  While I loved the 2017 season I think a lot of it was quite frankly done by accident.  The key was we didn't panic and extend players we didn't have to.  I think if the previous regime was in place after 2016 Plouffe, Mauer Molitor and Dozier would all still be under contract right now and those contracts would not be looking very good.  (and I love Dozier). These guys seemed to have a plan and stuck to it.

 

I also think a KEY to success was changing the culture by getting rid of Joe Mauer.  Now you can say he retired, but I am 100% convinced he was told we aren't resigning you and he didn't want to play anywhere else.  How do I come to that conclusion?  He said he wanted to play and all of a sudden with 2 weeks left in the year he is playing double headers and throwing the catching gear on.  If it was his choice and he was wanting to retire I think one of the best players in team history should have had more fanfare to come see Joe play one last time near seasons end.  You can't tell me guys like Berrios and Rosario didn't resent that all the attention was on Joe when they were the all star type guys.

 

So what do we do at 20-12 now and going forward?

1. Buy the heck out of good arms at the deadline (not Jepsen Rausch)

2. Replace Dick Bremer  He's good at calling the action but if you were the CEO of Amazon you don't want your national spokesperson saying how great of an experience it is getting to talk with a salesperson at Best Buy before you buy a TV.

 

Sorry for the long rant.

[AZTwin]

I don’t think the average fan cares about Falvey one way or the other. My guess is that the weather has played a bigger impact on home attendance

[Mr. Brooks]

Nobody goes to the ballpark to see the front office, so I'm not sure what line you are trying to draw here with that.

 

Outside of one poster who explicitly stated that he thought Falvey was an undercover mole for Cleveland, I haven't felt that anyone dislikes Falvey.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don’t think the average fan cares about Falvey one way or the other. My guess is that the weather has played a bigger impact on home attendance

 

the top predictors of attendance are two factors:

 

the previous year's attendance

the previous year's (and the one's before that) W-L record.

 

Neither of those moved in a way to have attendance increase this year. Also, outside the HUGE boost in PHI this year, attendance is down across the league.

 

[scottz]

I don't know why anybody else hates Falvey, but for me, it's that he never even RSVPs for my parties. I mean, it's a simple yes/no, Derek.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Is it the twitterverse? It seems like in the internet age, vocal minorities with tech-bullhorns speak louder than they used to.

 

It's been cold, the games starting at 6:40 make it pretty tight to get there after work. I'm not sure about anyone else, but for me that one backfired.

 

Mostly, my assumptions line up with others, they've sucked badly for 8 years, they've teased us before.... so they need to prove it this season to get season tix sales for next season. Next season, they better not regress..... again....

[Squirrel]

 

I don't know why anybody else hates Falvey, but for me, it's that he never even RSVPs for my parties. I mean, it's a simple yes/no, Derek.

Hahaha ... did we win yet?

[Doomtints]

I don't think anyone *dislikes* him.

 

Many of us have trouble understanding the moves this FO has been making, but the season is in full swing and it's out of Falvey's hands now. Even those of us who have questions believe the FO deserves plenty of time to get things right if not the benefit of the doubt.

 

So far, the hitting is carrying the team ... and so far we are on the trajectory to lose to the Yankees in the first round. Hooray?

[USAFChief]

I would reply, but this doesn't apply to me.

 

I'm an above-average Twins fan.

[Vanimal46]

A couple of factors:

 

Falvey does most of his work in March, which makes for a frustrating winter.

 

There have been articles written already that Falvey doesn't take a personal approach with the players. Such as not discussing Dozier's future, not giving players the heads up that they're being traded, etc. They appear cold and calculated.

 

They're investing in things behind the scenes that average fans can't see or care about.

[AWOLNATION_11]

 

 

I'm an above-average Twins fan.

 

Does make you wonder the qualifications for fandom.   I know a lot of folks who I'd consider big fans, but their knowledge of the business of baseball is very limited.   Love their Twins, but have no real idea how the roster is constructed.   I like coming to read Twins Daily, because I find myself in live conversations with these types, and have to really dumb things down for those chats.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Falvey does most of his work in March, which makes for a frustrating winter.

I don't think this is a fair characterization. Gonzalez signed late this year (Feb. 25), but Cron, Schoop, Cruz, Parker, and Perez were all signed before February.

 

Likewise for 2018, Pineda, Rodney, Duke, and Reed all signed by mid-January, even if we added Morrison/Lynn/Sanchez later. For 2017, Castro signed early too.

[DocBauer]

I "liked" the OP because I can fully appreciate the thought and sentiment behind it.

 

However, I do not fully agree with the premise. By and large, I don't think anyone HATES Falvey or Levine. Fans are frustrated about the past few seasons and nobody wants to hear about plans and patience. They want better, they want fixes, and they want them now.

 

When we see an opportunity, in our various opinions, and that opportunity is not acted on, we grow increasingly frustrated. Frustration built on previous frustration.

 

This season keeps going like it is, a lot of that frustration will ease and even turn in to hope and...dare I say it..praise.

 

I also disagree about Mauer. While i believe discussions about continuing to play happened, I dont believe Mauer was told to walk away. Is it possible he was plainly told his role would probably be reduced? Yes. But an young family, another concussion earlier in the year, I think he just knew it was time

[jkcarew]

Because it gets stale only having the umpires, Yankees, and Twins radio/TV personalities to hate?

 

I'm guessing.

[Squirrel]

I would reply, but this doesn't apply to me.

 

I'm an above-average Twins fan.

You are off the charts, Chief.

[Mike Sixel]

 

You are off the charts, Chief.

 

which direction?

[Squirrel]

 

which direction?

I was rather ambiguous on that detail, wasn't I?

[gil4]

 

I don't know why anybody else hates Falvey, but for me, it's that he never even RSVPs for my parties. I mean, it's a simple yes/no, Derek.

This raises another serious question - I've been here longer than Falvey; WHERE THE HECK IS MY INVITATION?

[gil4]

 

You are off the charts, Chief.

 

 

which direction?

 

He frequently goes off the charts in both directions at the same time.

 

[gil4]

 

Because it gets stale only having the umpires, Yankees, and Twins radio/TV personalities to hate?

 

I'm guessing.

I've been hating the Yankees since at least the mid-70s and it hasn't started to get old.

 

I'm more selective in my umpire hate these days - Joe West, Phil Cuzzi. CJ Bucknor, and this one guy I get stuck working high school games with occasionally who always tries to get us killed with his bad calls. 

 

I don't even hate the Twins radio/TV personalities, saving most of that hate for one particular announcer and his team. Even he finally did something I like: HE GONE! (Congrats on retirement Hawk - please stay retired.)

[Shaitan]

I don't think there's a sports franchise in the country where the average fan likes the GM. It's like complaining about referees, umpires, head coach, etc. It's just an easy/broad target for people to vent at the water cooler.

 

I'm pretty sure attendance is always fairly low before school lets out, and this year's weather isn't helping.

[Mike Sixel]

Attendance article, for those interested:

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/april-attendance-was-a-mixed-bag-for-baseball/

[Jham]

Hates a strong word. GM is an easy job to criticize. Don't sign so and so and it's your fault no matter what other factors are in play.

 

And as much as fans wish they were the boss, they ain't.

[Riverbrian]

I got no time to hate because I'm currently working on my apology letter for thinking (I never expressed) that "They lost their mind signing Martin Perez" 

[Squirrel]

I got no time to hate because I'm currently working on my apology letter for thinking (I never expressed) that "They lost their mind signing Martin Perez" 

I think everyone has that letter to write, but I’m waiting to write mine at the end of the season.

[Riverbrian]

 

I think everyone has that letter to write, but I’m waiting to write mine at the end of the season.

 

I figure that if I write an apology letter now... I stand a chance of getting an apology letter back if necessary. 

 

We are a sorry bunch of people... Thad Lavine and I. 

[DocBauer]

 

I got no time to hate because I'm currently working on my apology letter for thinking (I never expressed) that "They lost their mind signing Martin Perez" 

 

I rather think a group "petition" type of letter may be more appropriate.

 

It could start with something like "we are really, really, really sorry we ever doubted your brilliance on this move."

 

And end with "With regret and deep regard, the very, very, very bestest Twins fans in the universe...." signed by all.

 

Just leave me enough space for Byronious "Doc" Maximus Bauer.

[snepp]

 

I rather think a group "petition" type of letter may be more appropriate.

 

It could start with something like "we are really, really, really sorry we ever doubted your brilliance on this move."

 

And end with "With regret and deep regard, the very, very, very bestest Twins fans in the universe...." signed by all.

 

Just leave me enough space for Byronious "Doc" Maximus Bauer.

 

This is brilliant, and highly amusing.

 

I'd sign.

[Joe A. Preusser]

I don't get the premise of this thread.

 

I want to french kiss Falvine on the mouth for all they have done to elevate this franchise.

 

Metaphorically, of course...

 

Or is it?

[snepp]

 

I don't get the premise of this thread.

I want to french kiss Falvine on the mouth for all they have done to elevate this franchise.

Metaphorically, of course...

Or is it?

 

Check back in October, you might have to get in line.

 

 

Metaphorically, maybe.