Rocco's platitudes won't placate the masses...

[killebrewlover]

I read Rocco Baldelli's comments after the 4-2 loss to the Angels yesterday.  I quote, "(The last two losses) felt like games that if we played good baseball and did the things we wanted to, we had a chance to win.  We just didn't do much offensively. ... It's not rocket science. We've got to score some runs and there's different ways to do that."

Really?!  Seriously?!  That sounds like a stereotypical straight-line leading into a comedy skit on SNL.  So here's the thing.  You know Baldelli is struggling with how to fix a broken team when he responds like Captain Obvious to why the Twins are in a death spiral.   "WE'VE GOT TO SCORE SOME RUNS AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT." ???!!!  No screaming eagle do-do.  I don't have the answers myself.  But the guys who get paid millions of dollars should.  Do your jobs.  There's too much talent on this team to be in the position you're in now!!!!  Geezze.

[Squirrel]

What’s he supposed to say? Personally, I don’t listen to his game recaps. I saw the game.

But I agree, the players are not doing their jobs. 

[gunnarthor]

Rocco is even tempered, low key. That's why the FO wanted him. He's not Gardy. There are good and bad to both styles. 

I'm surprised how much I don't care about this team. It seems lifeless and mercenary. 

[Number3]

The great majority of games are exactly the way Baldelli described those two games. The losing manager usually finds a different set of words to say the same thing and the manager(s) usually have something to do with the losses. If I was a starting pitcher for the Twins I would just head for the showers after 4 innings and make Rocco come and get me.

[CRF]

I tuned Baldelli out a long time ago. Nothing he says is particularly worth listening to. It's all generic "manager/FO speak", and tells us absolutely nothing. Personally, I can't stand to hear him talk. I immediately turn him off anytime he comes on the tv or radio sports news. He's just a blah guy. Don't get me wrong...I love the Twins and always will, but to me, it kind of looks like this team is taking on the personality of the manager. They're lifeless and listless. Just kind of going through the motions. No fire in their bellies. I always liked that about Gardy. I'm sure there are people out there that just love Baldelli, but I'm not one of them. I wouldn't mind seeing someone else as manager. 

[LVTwinsfan]

2 hours ago, killebrewlover said:

I read Rocco Baldelli's comments after the 4-2 loss to the Angels yesterday.  I quote, "(The last two losses) felt like games that if we played good baseball and did the things we wanted to, we had a chance to win.  We just didn't do much offensively. ... It's not rocket science. We've got to score some runs and there's different ways to do that."

Really?!  Seriously?!  That sounds like a stereotypical straight-line leading into a comedy skit on SNL.  So here's the thing.  You know Baldelli is struggling with how to fix a broken team when he responds like Captain Obvious to why the Twins are in a death spiral.   "WE'VE GOT TO SCORE SOME RUNS AND THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT." ???!!!  No screaming eagle do-do.  I don't have the answers myself.  But the guys who get paid millions of dollars should.  Do your jobs.  There's too much talent on this team to be in the position you're in now!!!!  Geezze.

I think the league wouldn’t be too happy if he told the media to go **** themselves so he comes out with his generic pre planned responses just so he can cross talking to the media off his list.

[chpettit19]

Guess I don't know what else people think Rocco should say. They didn't play good baseball and lost because they couldn't score runs against a brutal pitching staff. Is he supposed to call guys out specifically? Don't see many managers going that route these days as most professional athletes in 2022 don't respond well to being publicly shamed. The offense didn't score and he pointed that out without throwing individuals under the bus. Not sure what else he can say after games like that.

Baseball is a 162 game season. There's only so many things for a manager to say. So by game 113 he's probably running low on deep, thought provoking lines after his team lost 2 games where they simply couldn't push runs across the plate against bad pitchers. Are people seeing other managers saying more than this this year? What are some examples of a manager with non-captain obvious responses in post game pressers?

[Greglw3]

1 hour ago, gunnarthor said:

Rocco is even tempered, low key. That's why the FO wanted him. He's not Gardy. There are good and bad to both styles. 

I'm surprised how much I don't care about this team. It seems lifeless and mercenary. 

Don't use the recent footage of one of the hugest baseball rants/explosions ever as proof of his even keeled temperament. I does seem he is even tempered but wow, that explosion was worthy of Earl Weaver or Ralph Houk.

[Greglw3]

4 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Guess I don't know what else people think Rocco should say. They didn't play good baseball and lost because they couldn't score runs against a brutal pitching staff. Is he supposed to call guys out specifically? Don't see many managers going that route these days as most professional athletes in 2022 don't respond well to being publicly shamed. The offense didn't score and he pointed that out without throwing individuals under the bus. Not sure what else he can say after games like that.

Baseball is a 162 game season. There's only so many things for a manager to say. So by game 113 he's probably running low on deep, thought provoking lines after his team lost 2 games where they simply couldn't push runs across the plate against bad pitchers. Are people seeing other managers saying more than this this year? What are some examples of a manager with non-captain obvious responses in post game pressers?

He, as manager, could use the bunt more. They’ve had a runner on second after 0 or 1 batter so many times and not gotten them in. Bunt. Require your players to know how to use this very important tool in certain situations (we have some undisciplined or injured players who hit .230s or below Kepler, Polanco, Sanchez, Cave). It would help especially in extra innings. 

Steal more, it doesn’t require world class speed. Partial blame to front office.

Situational hitting. I don’t think they’re coached to hit to right side with runner on 2nd and nobody out.

Rocco leaves pitchers in too long (Joe Ryan 10 runs). Rocco takes pitchers out too soon (Dylan Bundy and others who have shutout and reasonable pitch counts taken out for 3-4 relievers).

Now I understand that other are true. He’s working from a preordained playbook that says how many innings the starter will pitch, no matter what (Devin Smeltzer).

The preplanned pseudo-analytic approach is untenable and we throw away probably 3-5 games a year compared to a manager who makes pitching changes solely on the circumstances at the time. Pitcher mowing down hitters, let 'em roll. Pitcher has lost it - get 'em out before they give up 9-10 runs! Martin Perez 2019 and Joe Ryan 2022.

The more relievers you bring in, the > chance one of them doesn’t have his good stuff.) If each reliever has a 10% chance of not 'having it' on a given night, then 4 pitchers = 40% chance that one of the pitchers will be off and quite possibly blow the game.

I actually think Rocco has shown improvement this year but it’s like Kepler. Improved but unacceptable.

[Mike Sixel]

Why does anyone care what a coach or manager says? Nothing changes at all over way or the other. 

[tony&rodney]

I never watch those interviews but wonder if anyone has ever asked Baldelli why the organization is so opposed to bunting, hit & run, stealing bases, IBB, and having players cut down their swings with two strikes in scoring opportunities. I mean even Celestino has taken to a severe upper cut swing that lofts fly balls deep into the outfield with two out. 

[LastOnePicked]

2 hours ago, gunnarthor said:

I'm surprised how much I don't care about this team. It seems lifeless and mercenary. 

This. I completely checked out just before the all-star break. It was clearly setting up to be one of the most frustrating seasons in memory, and I'd had enough. I peek at the week's scores on Sunday night. It's been a wise choice to not invest any further in this club. They don't have it - they are sunk.

How much of that is Rocco's fault - or attributable to what he says or doesn't say after games - is unclear. What is clear is that he doesn't have what it takes to lead an MLB club to prominence. Players simply do not rise to meet the challenge under his management. Barring an incredible final 50 games, this should be his - and this FO's - last season at the helm.

[SanoMustGo]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

Guess I don't know what else people think Rocco should say. They didn't play good baseball and lost because they couldn't score runs against a brutal pitching staff. Is he supposed to call guys out specifically? Don't see many managers going that route these days as most professional athletes in 2022 don't respond well to being publicly shamed. The offense didn't score and he pointed that out without throwing individuals under the bus. Not sure what else he can say after games like that.

Baseball is a 162 game season. There's only so many things for a manager to say. So by game 113 he's probably running low on deep, thought provoking lines after his team lost 2 games where they simply couldn't push runs across the plate against bad pitchers. Are people seeing other managers saying more than this this year? What are some examples of a manager with non-captain obvious responses in post game pressers?

Players don't need Rocco to shame them in public, the last 71 games(31-40) and most likely the rest of the season will shame them plenty.

[Battle ur tail off]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why does anyone care what a coach or manager says? Nothing changes at all over way or the other. 

Correct. Don't care what he says, care about what he does. And I think someone else managing this team we would be up 2-3 games rather than behind that many. 

Do I want him fired? I don't think you can justify it to be honest if you look at his tenure. He has had one terrible season and 3 where we are at least competitive or better. But I would like to see him change his way of thinking with a pitching staff. The overuse of the bullpen is an issue that has cost us games this year and everyone knows it.

[bean5302]

The attitude "we played hard and gave ourselves a chance to win" is the attitude of a loser. It's garbage. It's also the Minnesota Nice team tradition. I don't know if Baldelli sets the tone or the front office sets the tone, but the tone needs to be different. 

"We expect to win every night and we should win these games. We have a great roster with guys who absolutely know their jobs and the skill to get it done, it's just a question of executing the way we should. When we execute, we win." - This is the message from championship teams. 

Confidence.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

I never watch those interviews but wonder if anyone has ever asked Baldelli why the organization is so opposed to bunting, hit & run, stealing bases, IBB, and having players cut down their swings with two strikes in scoring opportunities. I mean even Celestino has taken to a severe upper cut swing that lofts fly balls deep into the outfield with two out. 

I agree with this post...exactly this ...right here.... I wish Rocco and the FO and the entire team could read this post. This is what winning teams do. The Twins have improved their defense  tremendously (according to my eyes), and that is important. The Twins have improved their pitching, though there are miles to go before they sleep (thanks Robert Frost) and some in-house fines for every pitcher who walks a batter to lead off an inning. But the scoring could be improved "immediately" with some firm orders from the manager to hit the ball against the shift, bunt, steal bases, hit behind the runners when appropriate, and just make contact with 2 strikes.  (And Kepler grounds out to the second baseman.) What was the riddle posted the other day: "How do you keep the Twins from scoring?" Answer: "By putting a Twins' runner on second base with no outs". Pitiful. Just pitiful. 

[Major League Ready]

Who cares about the post games press conference.  Why would anyone expect him to say anything you don't already know if you watched the game?  Would it make you feel better if he pissed and moaned like fans.  Really!  They played bad.  Our $35M man has a wRC+ of 97 since July 1st and the BP arms we brought in have blown a couple games already.  Kepler has absolutely sucked.  Would it make anyone feel better if he threw these guys under the bus because I am pretty sure that would not motivate anyone or improve any individual performances.     

[Twodogs]

On 8/15/2022 at 7:08 AM, LVTwinsfan said:

I think the league wouldn’t be too happy if he told the media to go **** themselves so he comes out with his generic pre planned responses just so he can cross talking to the media off his list.

"I'm just here so I don't get fined."  Maybe Rocco should take some notes from a classic.

[Twodogs]

On 8/15/2022 at 8:20 AM, tony&rodney said:

I never watch those interviews but wonder if anyone has ever asked Baldelli why the organization is so opposed to bunting, hit & run, stealing bases, IBB, and having players cut down their swings with two strikes in scoring opportunities. I mean even Celestino has taken to a severe upper cut swing that lofts fly balls deep into the outfield with two out. 

Because on the flip side the media is too scared to ask those types of questions because if they ask the wrong questions too many times about the organizational philosophy then they won't have a microphone anymore to ask any questions, so they keep it copacetic.  Then they at least get to listen to the rehashed drivel that comes out all of the time.  Now if the media were to ask difficult questions to one of the players then they'd get away with that, but the organization won't let the media ask difficult questions that the organization has to answer.

[tony&rodney]

14 hours ago, Twodogs said:

Because on the flip side the media is too scared to ask those types of questions because if they ask the wrong questions too many times about the organizational philosophy then they won't have a microphone anymore to ask any questions, so they keep it copacetic.  Then they at least get to listen to the rehashed drivel that comes out all of the time.  Now if the media were to ask difficult questions to one of the players then they'd get away with that, but the organization won't let the media ask difficult questions that the organization has to answer.

While I don't watch postgame tv, I have a feeling that what you say is right on. 

[Craig Arko]

It’s actually fairly rare that placating the masses accomplishes much of anything (good).