Keys to 2019: Rocco's Modern Managing

This is the most exciting addition of the off season. Hopefully he paid attention when Joe Maddon was his manager.

Bunt more often.

Pitch the same relievers repeatedly until exhaustion.

Work on the mental side of the game with the younger players.  Cut down on the silly mental errors some members of this ballclub seem to do.  

Make sure there are defined standards that your players are expected to follow, and make sure that there are consequences (like a couple of days on the bench) if you do not.  You don't want the players to be safe and non aggressive, but at some point they have to cease  being stupid.

The mental approach angle is music to my ears. No excuse for a highly paid pro athlete to not have his head completely in the game. Baseball is not complicated but has been made complicated by all of the metrics, shifts, attempted match ups for every possible situation. I hope his mental approach involves keeping it simple and not beating yourself. Most games are lost, not won.

I believe  there are lots of good managers, acceptable managers, but few great ones.  I believe in a full coaching staff of quality people to prop up the manager.  I also believe that the FO needs to provide better players and especially better BP options than they gave Molitor.  Good luck Rocco.  The real key to a manager is maintaining a positive attitude with the team.

2019 should be another season of extensive experimentation, especially with the pitching staff. AA and AAA are loaded with arms that should get a look at the bigs this season. 

Like a few others, I'm getting fed up with excuses for Buxton and Sano, and even Kepler is wearing out my patience. These guys better come to spring training ready to stomp other teams with every aspect of their play. Otherwise, younger, hungrier players might start getting playing time. I'm all for getting Rooker and Gordon up for their first cuppa. Can't wait to see Lewis and Killeroff tear it up in ST. Also I wanna see if Gonzo and Stewart have found something new to show us. 

The Twins can still play Buxton the majority of the season, it doesn't mean he has to be the focal point and the key cog in the machine. Steve Lobardozzi wasn't either of those things and he played near every day batting about where Buxton will to start the year too.

 

You should build up your team with potential, you shouldn't build your team around potential. Build it around known commodities; if you don't have enough of that, you're work isn't done. This team's work isn't done yet. Buxton should be an after-thought at this time and if he comes out of his shell, a wonderful surprise that maybe can be built around at a later date.

The Twins need a couple of their young players to turn into stars or they won't win at the level that would satisfy us. What known commodities should the Twins build around? I don't see any on the roster who are anchors for a championship team, and I only see two who are close - Rosario and Berrios. I don't see Rosario ever getting there, and Berrios isn't there yet (but I could see it happening).

I see a few guys who would be useful parts on a championship team (Rosario, Gibson, Rogers, Polanco, Cruz, May) and some more who could be if things break right (Reed, Kepler, maybe Castro and Pineda, Schoop, Cron). 

The most likely candidates to be the stars we need to anchor a team are Buxton and Sano, with Berrios also a possibility.  The other guys who could step up are Polanco and maybe Kepler.  I'd say we need three legit stars to have a chance.

 I would love to have the Twins go after Machado or Harper. That would mean only two of the five potential stars would need turn into actual stars. 

The key to Baldelli s success will be how well this team pitches. As TK used to say when I have the right players I’m a smart manager

Of the reasons for possible success going forward Baldelli s contribution would be about 8th

I havent read the article yet, but I just wanted to say I appreciate the Rocko's Modern Life reference in the title. carry on...