The Era of the “Woe is Me” Twins fan is Over

About your article:. What a bunch of crap.  This team has poor fundamentals, plays very boring baseball, and still has a lot of wholes to fill.  I too have been a Twins fan since the 60s.  In it's current form this team is not a contender.  Correa is a good shortstop but he alone, even with his super inflated ego can't vault them into a serious contender.  This team has too many pitching questions to be taken seriously.  Your comparison of Correa/Buxton to Trout/O'Hatani does the Angel duo a great disservice.  Correa is a superstar, Buxton is a part time player and has been for 7 of his 8 years with the Twins.  What I am looking for is for this FO to get creative and add pieces to build around Correa.  If signing Correa is all they do it will be a huge mistake IMO.  

As a former player too , I would not play for this FO or Rocco and their plan ...

The game the twins play is not exciting as years past ...

They don't seem to be taught the right way to play PROFESSIONAL baseball  ...

They can't make contact in situational hitting and strike out ( no clutch hitting ) , they don't hit behind the runner to move them up a base , etc etc etc ...

They run the bases and into outs with mind boggling mistakes ( its  one thing being aggressive but their mistakes on running bases are mistakes ) ...

Defense is suspect as they throw to the wrong base or can't hit the cut off man  ... 

FO , Coaching and manager are suspect as their heads are not on the game ( see 2 mound visits on a player they had no intention of removing ) , once in 2021 and once in 2022 ) , 

You can have talent but you still have to play the game ( THE GAME , NOT ANALITICS  ) , 

It may be nice that the FO made a 6 year committment to a player like Correa. It is another thing to determine if, even with the lower price they ended up paying, that it isn't still an overpay. How will everyone feel about the signing if he has another season or two like he did in 2018 when he hit .239? Or if he becomes a part-time player like Buxton who can't stay on the field due to the health issues the Giants and Mets recognized? Could it be that the Giants and Mets have a FO that is smarter than the Twins? Will having a Correa for 6 years tying up that much money affect their ability to extend some of the young players in the next 6 years? Or their ability to sign a different player that could be the real difference maker? Point is,... there are more ramifications to signing a player to a huge salary than just paying that player. Also, extending an apology to a FO that got a player to fall into their lap because 2 other teams, with possibly smarter people running them, is not reason enough for an apology. What the FO does from this point forward will show what their intentions are and how good they are at doing them. They haven't shown me anything up to this point that they are really good at what they do. The Correa signing alone won't be enough to make this team a legitimate playoff contender. Tell me who is going to be the teams best hitter in the outfield? Is Buxton and Gallo hitting 30 HR each going to be enough when they are also hitting .225 and .160? Or Kepler hitting .230? Larnach, Kirilloff? Celestino, Wallner? Every outfield position is a question mark as to if they'll be on the field, and if they are, can they hit? They've assemble the biggest cobbled up core of players that can't stay on the field or hit that I've seen in all my years (50+) as a Twins fan. In 2023 Correa ($36+M), Buxton ($15.1M), Gallo ($11M) and Kepler ($8.5M) need to start hitting, driving in runs, and lead the offense like they are being paid. If we get another year of run production like they had in 2022 from those 4 it'll be just another example of this FO making more mistakes. 

Alex, you are spot on! Correa did not agree to spend his remaining career with the Twins without addressing competitiveness. Having been a Twins fan for longer than I will admit, it has been a roller coaster of good, ugly and amazing baseball. We've been in the ugly the last couple of years. But I think the future is bright... might even have to change my profile name 🤩

I think this is a very accurate look at Twins fans (Vikings as well, I don't follow wolves or wild) and the future of Twins baseball. I think the FO gets a bad rap at times for signing pitchers that they arguably know are already injured (Paddock and Mahle), but they have also done a lot of good things. If you look at the core players we have, we compete and barring injury should win the AL Central (because it is booty cheeks). They need their younger players to continue elevate their play and stay healthy and I believe that level of competition will begin to become championship level. A lot needs to go right to be sure and a piece or two would be nice to add. Also, I think need folks need to read the entire article before hitting the keyboard with such gusto lol

Also a franchise SS (yes even with his ego to address an earlier comment) with tremendous leadership qualities can drastically change a ballclub.

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

About your article:. What a bunch of crap.  This team has poor fundamentals, plays very boring baseball, and still has a lot of wholes to fill.  I too have been a Twins fan since the 60s.  In it's current form this team is not a contender.  Correa is a good shortstop but he alone, even with his super inflated ego can't vault them into a serious contender.  This team has too many pitching questions to be taken seriously. 

Quote

Your comparison of Correa/Buxton to Trout/O'Hatani does the Angel duo a great disservice.

  Correa is a superstar, Buxton is a part time player and has been for 7 of his 8 years with the Twins.  What I am looking for is for this FO to get creative and add pieces to build around Correa.  If signing Correa is all they do it will be a huge mistake IMO.  

As does your misspelling of Shohei Ohtani.

I was surprised you didn’t add the annual off-season mantra - that the team/FO/Pohlads are too cheap to spend money on pitching. It gets very tiresome after awhile. I think the Twins, if healthy, stand a good chance to win a weak AL Central. 

Perhaps it will be if the Twins have a winning season in 2023, and it certainly will be over if they can finally win a single playoff game. But if they rattle off a third straight losing season, "woe is me" will not do it justice.

I’d venture this could be generalized to the fanbase of most sports franchises.

"It’s time to support a team rather than being the thing the team has to conquer. We are the Minnesota Twins, and we are a good baseball team, and it’s time to show up at Target field in 2023."

Quick question... Why is the time to support this team now? Many fans have been supporting this team for years through the good seasons and the bad. Maybe Twins fans just can't get excited about a team that plays fundamentals poorly, that doesn't manufacture runs, that can't get clutch hits when they need them. That comes to a game to have their child see their favorite player play but then finds out after he is there that Rocco gives him a rest day. That they are tired watching Rocco blow another game using his Colome/Pagan closer mentality. Or seeing a starter get pulled after 5 innings even though he is cruising only to have the over-worked relievers cough up the lead for no reason. IMO it will be time to support this team when it proves it can play good exciting baseball and win meaningful games again. Until then, they need to prove to the fans that THEY are what the fans WANT. If they aren't, no amount of cheerleading from anyone including sports writers will change their minds.

8 hours ago, NotAboutWinning said:

Alex, you are spot on! Correa did not agree to spend his remaining career with the Twins without addressing competitiveness. Having been a Twins fan for longer than I will admit, it has been a roller coaster of good, ugly and amazing baseball. We've been in the ugly the last couple of years. But I think the future is bright... might even have to change my profile name 🤩

It seems like longer than a couple of years!  More like 20 - 30myears. 

7 minutes ago, Alex Boxwell said:

Because the roster is pretty talented and it will be fun to watch. It sounds like you might not be a Twins fan and that's ok too.

I've been a Twins fan for over 50 years. I can't get excited about a team that is managed by paper stats and plays dull boring baseball. I'm a big fan of guys that can at least hit for a decent average.... Arraez, Miranda. Polanco when he isn't hurt. I think Correa is a huge overpay for what he brings offensively. That means at least half of the lineup is likely to make an out if they don't hit a HR, and that HR will likely only be a solo shot since most of the lineup can't hit for average. I liked the Vazquez and Farmer signings. Gallo is the worst $11M spent by this FO since they started running things. It takes an Ace to win big games. They don't have one. Which means if they win the division they'll still sputter in the playoffs. As a fan, games during the regular season can become meaningless if there is little to no chance that the team will make the playoffs or win any games if they get there. Like I said, they have to prove to me they are talented, prove to me they can play good baseball, prove to me they are managed correctly. Prove to me they can win meaningful games in October. Then I'll get interested in watching.

11 hours ago, rv78 said:

It may be nice that the FO made a 6 year committment to a player like Correa. It is another thing to determine if, even with the lower price they ended up paying, that it isn't still an overpay. How will everyone feel about the signing if he has another season or two like he did in 2018 when he hit .239? Or if he becomes a part-time player like Buxton who can't stay on the field due to the health issues the Giants and Mets recognized? Could it be that the Giants and Mets have a FO that is smarter than the Twins? Will having a Correa for 6 years tying up that much money affect their ability to extend some of the young players in the next 6 years? Or their ability to sign a different player that could be the real difference maker? Point is,... there are more ramifications to signing a player to a huge salary than just paying that player. Also, extending an apology to a FO that got a player to fall into their lap because 2 other teams, with possibly smarter people running them, is not reason enough for an apology. What the FO does from this point forward will show what their intentions are and how good they are at doing them. They haven't shown me anything up to this point that they are really good at what they do. The Correa signing alone won't be enough to make this team a legitimate playoff contender. Tell me who is going to be the teams best hitter in the outfield? Is Buxton and Gallo hitting 30 HR each going to be enough when they are also hitting .225 and .160? Or Kepler hitting .230? Larnach, Kirilloff? Celestino, Wallner? Every outfield position is a question mark as to if they'll be on the field, and if they are, can they hit? They've assemble the biggest cobbled up core of players that can't stay on the field or hit that I've seen in all my years (50+) as a Twins fan. In 2023 Correa ($36+M), Buxton ($15.1M), Gallo ($11M) and Kepler ($8.5M) need to start hitting, driving in runs, and lead the offense like they are being paid. If we get another year of run production like they had in 2022 from those 4 it'll be just another example of this FO making more mistakes. 

Per the Author of the original post……LOVE the positivity!!

Will $35 million restrict what we can spend elsewhere? Of course!! At least we are spending without creating reasons not to spend in the press to cover our rear, like, we can’t sign him because he might hit .239 again. IMO the Author is pointing out the damned if you do & damned if you don’t view the fans have of the FO and carry as fans in MN in general.

If we add a starter via trade to help us around potential issues this year eating innings - we get Maeda into the Pen for depth - we sign a FA reliever……..all in the next 6-7 weeks & we’re a top 4 or 5 team in the A.L.

Every organization has issues………the Author is saying Deal with it and let’s support the club vs. choosing to use our fandom to be a drag on the team.

Every fan of the game for more than 50 years, regardless of the team they support, can’t stand the lack of fundamentals shown in today’s game. Players don’t know the terms, Sacrafice or Hit & Run nor can they execute in a number of ways we appreciate & believe are essential for success. Many starters batting averages are under .250 and strikeout way too often! Things have changed - changed so much that this year the SHIFT is being outlawed. A reversal to the good old days.

None of this is specific to the TWINS nor have anything to do with Rocco Baldelli. Soooo tired of people/fans complaining about how he handles our starters. Same approach with essentially every team - the stats bare this out. Guys gotta perform!!! Smith - Duffey - Pagan - López are the reasons we had 27 blown saves, not because Baldelli can’t pitch nor because he over worked them. They weren’t good! Hoping for better this year!

Enjoy the season.

I like to watch good baseball. 

2 hours ago, rv78 said:

I've been a Twins fan for over 50 years. I can't get excited about a team that is managed by paper stats and plays dull boring baseball. I'm a big fan of guys that can at least hit for a decent average.... Arraez, Miranda. Polanco when he isn't hurt. I think Correa is a huge overpay for what he brings offensively. That means at least half of the lineup is likely to make an out if they don't hit a HR, and that HR will likely only be a solo shot since most of the lineup can't hit for average. I liked the Vazquez and Farmer signings. Gallo is the worst $11M spent by this FO since they started running things. It takes an Ace to win big games. They don't have one. Which means if they win the division they'll still sputter in the playoffs. As a fan, games during the regular season can become meaningless if there is little to no chance that the team will make the playoffs or win any games if they get there. Like I said, they have to prove to me they are talented, prove to me they can play good baseball, prove to me they are managed correctly. Prove to me they can win meaningful games in October. Then I'll get interested in watching.

Ditto ditto and more ditto  ...

The whole truth and nothing but the truth 

Alex has implored people to be more positive and pointed out that signing Correa recently and Buxton last year are signs of the Twins moving towards putting a solid team together. This is a fair idea. He also hopes the Twins add more guys, clearly indicating a wish to see even better players.

The Twins have struggled the past several seasons with fundamental baseball and the station to station game is partially to blame for declining attendance. There can be disagreements with how a fan wants their favorite team to play the game and what happens.

No use for anyone to get personal or too excited because we have no control. It is usually more beneficial for one's personal health to think positively and hope for the best in situations where one has zero control. We can disagree on baseball issues in a civil manner and still have strong opinions. Falvey makes the calls, we watch the results.

I'm hoping for the best but am also  wishing to see the Twins clean up some of the poor play due to lazy mental errors which I see as different from tired or stressed mental errors. Physical errors are going to happen. I'm also hopeful of seeing a team that considers all means of scoring runs. Station to station baseball is too tough for me. 

I'm almost ready for Spring Training. .... just one or two trades left.

9 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Per the Author of the original post……LOVE the positivity!!

Will $35 million restrict what we can spend elsewhere? Of course!! At least we are spending without creating reasons not to spend in the press to cover our rear, like, we can’t sign him because he might hit .239 again. IMO the Author is pointing out the damned if you do & damned if you don’t view the fans have of the FO and carry as fans in MN in general.

If we add a starter via trade to help us around potential issues this year eating innings - we get Maeda into the Pen for depth - we sign a FA reliever……..all in the next 6-7 weeks & we’re a top 4 or 5 team in the A.L.

Every organization has issues………the Author is saying Deal with it and let’s support the club vs. choosing to use our fandom to be a drag on the team.

Every fan of the game for more than 50 years, regardless of the team they support, can’t stand the lack of fundamentals shown in today’s game. Players don’t know the terms, Sacrafice or Hit & Run nor can they execute in a number of ways we appreciate & believe are essential for success. Many starters batting averages are under .250 and strikeout way too often! Things have changed - changed so much that this year the SHIFT is being outlawed. A reversal to the good old days.

None of this is specific to the TWINS nor have anything to do with Rocco Baldelli. Soooo tired of people/fans complaining about how he handles our starters. Same approach with essentially every team - the stats bare this out. Guys gotta perform!!! Smith - Duffey - Pagan - López are the reasons we had 27 blown saves, not because Baldelli can’t pitch nor because he over worked them. They weren’t good! Hoping for better this year!

Enjoy the season.

Yeah the Baldelli hate always confuses/bums me out. I like the guy and a lot of the game decisions would be be exactly the same if any one else was there. When managers are hired the organization does so to match whatever the front office is trying to do. 

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

Will one playoff win do the trick?

Will winning just one series get you interested?

Do they have to win meaningful games in October every year? 

Whatever the answer... we will see you later I guess. 

Yeah I always found the mind set of “if they do XYZ, then I’ll be interested” to be a bit of a bummer. Part of being a fan is going through the ups and downs, and yea there have been some DOWNS to be sure. Love this post by Alex, I have been guilty of being a bit of a pessimistic butthole when it comes to Minnesota sports. I think the call for accountability and the optimistic look at this season is great. Folks this is a talented squad. Barring the injury plague making a reappearance we should at minimum compete for the booty cheeks AL Central. Add a bullpen arm or two and maybe a right handed bat and who knows?

On 1/16/2023 at 12:06 PM, NotAboutWinning said:

Alex, you are spot on! Correa did not agree to spend his remaining career with the Twins without addressing competitiveness. Having been a Twins fan for longer than I will admit, it has been a roller coaster of good, ugly and amazing baseball. We've been in the ugly the last couple of years. But I think the future is bright... might even have to change my profile name 🤩

Careful! You might be getting addicted to hopium. As an addict, I can tell you it brings a lot of disappointment into your life

3 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I don't get it either but there sure is a lot of it hanging like a cloud over every sports team across the fruited plain.

In my opinion, it isn't unique to the Twins or Minnesota. Conditions are attached to fandom and loyalty in all major sports. 

I don't get it... the level of perfection demanded by some fans or the expectation that those in charge do exactly what they think or they are obviously idiots is probably not something they demand of themselves in equal measure or from the people they are responsible for. 

If they demand the same of those around them in equal measure, there would be massive amounts of children in the streets, tossed out of the house (Fired) for getting a B or C in Algebra. 😀

 

It is certainly a strange mind set. I think it's roots are from a genuine place though, and that is that they are passionate. They love their team and want to see them do well, so when the team does things they feel are not in line with how to be successful, it can really set them off. So while I find it to be a bummer when fans think like that, I do at least understand it a bit.