The ride or the results?

[Fire Dan Gladden]

I will be honest folks.  I probably enjoy the offseason as much as I do the regular season.  So much optimism and hope, so many possibilities.  What move might the Twins make?  Who will improve?  What else is happening around the league?  That leads me to my question:

What matters to you more: the ride or the results?

Lets get this out of the way first.  We all want the Twins to win the World Series.  But do you consider the season a loss if the Twins don't win it all?  Was last year a success for the Twins in your eyes? Can you enjoy the ride for what it is or was?

On the other side, can you enjoy the year even if you know the Twins are going to be terrible?  Can you enjoy the forest through the trees, looking for individual wins or gains here and there?  Or do you shut it down and only pay small attention to a team that has no chance of winning?

For me, it is always about the ride.  I am curious as to where you stand and why?

[Riverbrian]

Games in September that Matter is my barometer. 

We had games that mattered in September last year. 

We failed at those games but they mattered. 

I'm OK... And I have the same goal for next year. 

You have to find the door in order to knock on it. 

One of these years it will open.  

[MMMordabito]

It's always about the ride.  The problem of late is that the changes in the game are turning the ride from the Renegade into the Antique Autos.  

Hopefully, the rule changes in 2023 will help to change that.  

 

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I love the grind of the season. I do agree with RB, games that matter in September, the fun of scoreboard watching into October is what makes that long grind so rewarding.

[TwinsDr2021]

32 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Games in September that Matter is my barometer. 

We had games that mattered in September last year.

I can agree with the games that matter in September, but would add games that matter and a sense there is a chance of actually doing something in those games. Last year the Twins had "games that matter" because of their start and the White Sox/Cleveland start.

[RpR]

Spring & summer are baseball season, that is what matters the most; if they are doing well and may make the post season, that is just a bonus.

[Bigfork Twins Guy]

I like following them all year long.  I love Spring for the hope that it brings and to see how the off-season acquisitions fit in.  I love the core of the season for the pure enjoyment of baseball.  Win or lose I get enjoyment out of each and every game.  I love fall baseball as races heat up and scoreboard watching takes place even if the Twins are out of it.  If the Twins are out of the race, I still enjoy seeing the fall call-ups perform and assess, in my mind, how they may pan out next season.  I love this time of year also as I wait daily for news of new acquisitions to get me excited for next season.

I guess overall, I am a baseball-lover an hopelessly dedicated to this game.

[CRF]

The ride AND the results. 12 months, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525,600 minutes...24/7, the whole enchilada. I think about the season, and what the FO is gonna do, all the time. Can't get enough. I want another WS title before the good Lord takes me.

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

I can agree with the games that matter in September, but would add games that matter and a sense there is a chance of actually doing something in those games. Last year the Twins had "games that matter" because of their start and the White Sox/Cleveland start.

I'd wish for different results than what transpired in September but if they are in games that matter... they have a chance of actually doing something in those games. 

Cleveland played well. They earned it. 

We didn't. We earned that as well. 

I'm not sure many teams could survive what we had in the OF that fateful month. 

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Games in September that Matter is my barometer. 

We had games that mattered in September last year. 

We failed at those games but they mattered. 

I'm OK... And I have the same goal for next year. 

You have to find the door in order to knock on it. 

One of these years it will open.  

That's a good way of framing it, and the last two years are poster children for this notion.

• Horrible start in 2021 and then played .500 for the last two-thirds of the season, finishing with 73 wins.
• Good start in 2022 and actually played under .500 for the last two-thirds of the season, but finished with 78 wins.

Yet, following the 2022 Twins was WAY more than just five wins more enjoyable than 2021, because in 2022 it wasn't until about Sept. 10 that I felt like we no longer had a shot. In 2021, it felt like drudgery from early May to the end of the year.

Success in the playoffs is bonus (and don't get me wrong, it's a HUGE bonus -- every October I remember those 1987/91/Game 163 feelings), but my overall enjoyment of baseball comes from the sustained nature of a regular season that leads to September nail-biters.

[Vanimal46]

I enjoy it all. The offseason is fun for hot stove talk, follow where the top FAs go, and discuss our visions of how the roster should be shaped. This winter should be fun for Twins fans because the books haven’t been this clean in a long time. And I believe we have a really good shot at re-signing Correa. 

I enjoy the ride of the regular season, with conditions… They have to be competitive for a playoff spot where anything can happen if they get in. At a minimum, they have to be entertaining and building toward something. There’s nothing worse than slogging through a non-competitive season and holding onto over the hill veterans for dear life. In that scenario, I’m 100% out on watching the Twins play.

[Doctor Gast]

The ride is just as fun as the arrival of your destination. Before any trip there is the planning, if your objective is desirable so is the planning. The problem comes when someone comes & has a totally different way to try to get there & ends up somewhere else less desireable.

I enjoy the lining up of trades and the occasional signing of a significant FA, setting up the structure & philosophies of the year. But I have to admit I get pretty frustrated when management have different ones. I always have hope they'll change & slowly they are.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Life is about the journey. As far as baseball goes, I agree with your wise assessment of the Twins' year. But I must admit, as a loyal Twins' fan, I enjoy spring training and all the optimism the most. I enjoy March and April as my favorite months. The odds are 29 to 1 that any 1 major league team will "not" end the season as Champion. If that is all you follow baseball for, you are going to be disappointed way more times than you will ever end your season as Champion. But oh it is sweet when that does happen. I'm the same way with the Tarheel basketball teams each year. Usually the college basketball season ends in a bitter loss in March Madness, but when the Heels win it all, joy abounds in North Carolina and some jump over the fires burning in Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. In fact one of my daughters proudly shows her tiny scar on her ankle from jumping one night after a Final 4 victory her freshman year at UNC. I was in New Orleans at the Super Dome yelling "TECHNICAL FILE ! TECHNICAL FOUL !" when Chris Webber called a time out which Michigan did not have, insuring UNC's victory. I celebrated the Twins WS victories in 87 and 91 by shooting my shotgun from my deck into the night air, as my family laughed with me.  I hope to shoot my shotgun again, but now I can afford to come to Minneapolis for some World Series games and I hope to be there in 2023. I will leave my shotgun in North Carolina. 

[wsnydes]

I typically base my thoughts on a successful season relative to my expectations going into the season.  I realize that only one team can be the winner at the end of the season, so the remaining teams will be disappointed.  But I'm typically in it for the long haul.  The unexpected is what entertains me.

I enjoy the offseason.  I typically need some time away from the game, but get more interested again as free agency picks up and I'm ready to go by the time ST opens.

[RJA]

I complain about things along the way, but it is definitely the ride, and has been since I was listening to Ray Scott, Halsey Hall and Herb Carneal as a kid on summer evenings while chasing walleyes in northern Minnesota, or later with Carneal, Quilici and Gordon while sitting on the deck by the lake and sipping drinks.  Baseball is just a part of summer life, and even if the Twins never, God forbid, make the World Series again in my lifetime, you can't take away those great summer days and nights on the lake.  Great times and great memories.

[jorgenswest]

The game is king. I love watching baseball. High school baseball, minor league baseball, Major League Baseball…

It is also the best game to follow on the radio.

As for the ride or the results I think I am more the moment.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

16 hours ago, wsnydes said:

I typically base my thoughts on a successful season relative to my expectations going into the season.  I realize that only one team can be the winner at the end of the season, so the remaining teams will be disappointed.  But I'm typically in it for the long haul.  The unexpected is what entertains me.

I enjoy the offseason.  I typically need some time away from the game, but get more interested again as free agency picks up and I'm ready to go by the time ST opens.

I feel the same way Wsnydes.

[theBOMisthebomb]

The offseason is awful torture and I don't enjoy it. The Hot Stove reminds me of middle school with all the rumors swirling, not my cup of tea. Of course, it's the ride and enjoying the Twins nearly every day. The sport of baseball means so much to me, it's just difficult to put into words.  Playing, watching, and coaching the sport for the last 45 years has earned it a place in my heart. As for the result, I'd trade a lot of valuables to witness one more Twins World Series championship. 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

What about the ride when you have a 60 win team?

I wouldn't say we have been spoiled, but generally speaking the Twins have been pretty decent.  Since 2000, they have the 12th most wins in all of baseball (8th in playoff appearances), in the playoff hunt almost every year.  Most of the younger fans here don't truly remember the miseries of the mid-90's.  Can you enjoy the ride when you know the year is lost before it even starts?

[PaulC]

Oh yes, it's all about the ride, and what a great ride it was this year! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the post-season (if it weren't for the Yankees!). But I'm with you on the off season as well. Baseball, in my eyes, is all about hope and anticipation! That is baseball. Spring Training springs eternal!!!!.  I got one more thing Dan. Why are MLB bosses, owners, and managers not emphasizing putting the ball in play? That is what makes baseball exciting. #luisarraez, #7%strikeoutrate.

[EGFTShaw]

Yes!  Both.

I love ? the offseason because I love constructing teams.  But constructing the team is 1/2 of the fun, I want to see how well my constructed team performs.

I am less of watching the games, (I need to control my very un-Bud Grant like emotions), but I want them to win and perform well.

WS is always the goal, but it does not define success.  It is the Ultimate Success, but not exclusively the only resident of Success.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

What about the ride when you have a 60 win team?

I wouldn't say we have been spoiled, but generally speaking the Twins have been pretty decent.  Since 2000, they have the 12th most wins in all of baseball (8th in playoff appearances), in the playoff hunt almost every year.  Most of the younger fans here don't truly remember the miseries of the mid-90's.  Can you enjoy the ride when you know the year is lost before it even starts?

I even did enjoyed the ride when I was a Washington Senators' fan. "First in war, first in peace and last in the American League".  There has been something noble about being the long suffering, but ever loyal, only Washington Senators'/Twins' fan in my small town in North Carolina.. 

[KirbyDome89]

Is it WS or bust for me? No. Was last year a success? Also no. Can I enjoy a lost season? There are certainly aspects or storylines  I can enjoy. My level of enjoyment really depends on the type of team I'm watching. 

I'll always be checking in on the team, but my investment on a game to game basis varies. If you're going to play like the Royals for 4 months and you're trotting out some of the lineups/pitchers the Twins did during must win games/series, eh, I can find better uses for my time. 

I think Gleeman had a great comment about condensing the offseason. I'd definitely enjoy it more if there was a "signing period," rather than 4+ months of trickle. 

It's a cop out, but Idk if I can truly separate the ride from the results. 

[Mike Sixel]

Ride, and my previous comment was deleted, so I won't repeat it, I guess.

[ashbury]

On 12/1/2022 at 8:22 AM, Fire Dan Gladden said:

The ride or the results?

Um, yes™?

I feel compelled to point out that asking this question during the off-season means a pretty strong bias to the results.  To misquote Firesign Theater, I think we're all Riders on this bus.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Um, yes™?

I feel compelled to point out that asking this question during the off-season means a pretty strong bias to the results.  To misquote Firesign Theater, I think we're all Riders on this bus.

You are correct. I never thought of the bias in asking that question this time of year. Good point.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

13 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Um, yes™?

I feel compelled to point out that asking this question during the off-season means a pretty strong bias to the results.  To misquote Firesign Theater, I think we're all Riders on this bus.

This is an excellent point that I neglected to consider...

However, in perusing the the extensive negative comments posted on this website over the last few months about the state of Twins baseball, the lack of spending on payroll, and the "collapse" of the team over the last portion of the season, I feel there is benefit to this question at this time.  It is an interesting double standard that many people who claim to be long time Twins fans continue to complain and complain about all things Twins related without winning the World Series.  Disappointment yes, but the vitriol? 

We have yet to hear from that large subset of Results oriented posters.  We know they are there, every decision that does not end positively or immediately gets destroyed.  Where are those individuals?

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

This is an excellent point that I neglected to consider...

However, in perusing the the extensive negative comments posted on this website over the last few months about the state of Twins baseball, the lack of spending on payroll, and the "collapse" of the team over the last portion of the season, I feel there is benefit to this question at this time.  It is an interesting double standard that many people who claim to be long time Twins fans continue to complain and complain about all things Twins related without winning the World Series.  Disappointment yes, but the vitriol? 

We have yet to hear from that large subset of Results oriented posters.  We know they are there, every decision that does not end positively or immediately gets destroyed.  Where are those individuals?

This post is getting deep. Thanks Fire Dan for your original question. In asking your next question of where are the negative posters, you may have answered  your first question. The result oriented posters are waiting for the season to begin. Only after winning a game do they experience enjoyment and after losing a game, they experience frustration and sometimes anger. Their sole object is to win. Then there are those of us who  enjoy the total journey, including the winters' anticipation and the summers'  memories... the victories and the defeats...we consider ourselves Twins fans, baseball fans, due to the experience and not the score.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

10 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

This post is getting deep. Thanks Fire Dan for your original question. In asking your next question of where are the negative posters, you may have answered  your first question. The result oriented posters are waiting for the season to begin. Only after winning a game do they experience enjoyment and after losing a game, they experience frustration and sometimes anger. Their sole object is to win. Then there are those of us who  enjoy the total journey, including the winters' anticipation and the summers'  memories... the victories and the defeats...we consider ourselves Twins fans, baseball fans, due to the experience and not the score.

I have always wondered what makes a Twins fan a Twins fan,,,

Part of being a fan of your club is knowing the idiosyncrasies of your team.  In previous years it was "pitch to contact" or the "Terry Ryan way".  Knowing that Gardenhire was going to get ejected the moment warnings were issued after an opposing pitcher hit a Twins batter without the Twins doing anything....

If you can't accept that the Pohlad's are not going to spend all their money to win baseball games, why are you a Twins fan?  Go root for the Yankees, Dodgers, or Rangers (after the insane contract they just doled out for DeGrom).

Part of the Ride, at least for me, is knowing these limitations and seeing how the Twins can exceed them.  The first 100 games of 2022 were a perfect example.  The Bomba Squad was another.

But read through this site right now and see comments that are more Results oriented.  I want to hear from those individuals to explain their position.  Not just an emotional rant, but talk about why you are Results oriented.  My guess is it's not gonna happen...

[dxpavelka]

Only 1 team will win the World Series.  The other 29 had better be entertaining.  And, yes, I LOVE the off season.