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Fire Dan Gladden

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Blog Entries posted by Fire Dan Gladden

  1. Fire Dan Gladden
    To everybody that has been calling for Ron Gardenhire's head, congratulations. Your voice has finally been heard. Make no bones about it, this decision was not a baseball decision, but a decision based on the growing public perception that Ron Gardenhire is the main reason for the Twins losing 90 games plus each season four years in a row.
     
    If there is any question of Gardenhire's perception outside of Minnesota, read the public comments on the national articles. The comments are fairly consistent.
     
    "Gardenhire got a bad rap in Minnesota."
     
    "Would [insert team here] please fire [said team's manager] and hire Gardenhire? We would love to have him"
     
    "Gardenhire is getting the blame for the Twins refusal to spend money. We would take him in a heartbeat"
     
    The reality is that Terry Ryan had previously stated publicly that he expected Gardenhire back next year. Ryan has been very direct and straight with the media. He will withhold comment rather than publicly say something damaging. No reason to think he was lying then. What changed?
     
    Enter the Pohlads. Owners that have regularly treated this team as a business, looking only at profit/loss, not following the spend-money-to-make-money philosophy. Lagging ticket sales, a rash of recent negative publicity, underporformance from your highest paid players. What is the quickest, cheapest way to make a change to make it look like you are doing something?
     
    Fire the manager.
     
    Ryan and Gardenhire have been phenomenal in working within the confines created by the Pohlads. Injuries and bad luck have had as large an impact on this team as anything. If anybody thinks that bringing in a new manager will fundamentally change the way the Twins draft, spend, train, or run their organization they will be sadly mistaken.
     
    I hope the individuals that have been calling for Gardenhire's head for the past few years will also praise him as he leads his next team into the playoffs. Rick Anderson will probably be with him as they do. As for us, we can only hope that the next Twins manager will be as capable as Gardenhire was.
  2. Fire Dan Gladden
    Before I begin, a quick recap for those who don't know what has been going on.
     
    A while back, Thrylos started a thread by posting that, according to a source, Scott Baker had signed a 3 year contract with the Twins. The deal had not been announced, but Thrylos said it was signed and done, and it would be announced. A few people responded in disbelief, Thrylos responded in a demeaning fashion. A few days ago, news came out that Baker actually signed with the Cubs. The thread turned into a pile on Thrylos. John Bonnes attempted to diffuse the situation warning that by attacking incorrect sources, future posters with "inside information" would not put their neck on the line for fear of retribution. His post was essentially ignored. A short while later, Brock closed the thread.
     
    You can see the entire thread here:
     
    http://twinsdaily.com/showthread.php?3858-Twins-re-signed-Baker
     
    I have disagreed with John, Seth, et. al., many times before. I have posted to this effect. But I have to say that this is the first time I have been truly disappointed in the Twins Daily leadership group.
     
    There are a few points I would like to make:
     
    1) Thrylos is not a rookie poster. On the contrary, he is among the most prolific posters on the Twins Daily website. I can honestly say that his comments are usually among the most negative, argumentative, and demeaning of all the posters here. The fact that there were so many shots taken at Thrylos (including one by Parker Hageman) should tell you how Thrylos is generally viewed by the Twins Daily readers.
     
    2) Thrylos could easily have avoided this situation by being half a step more cautious in reporting his information. He could have qualified the statement in any number of ways, but he chose not to. Furthermore, he invited challenges by posting aggressive replies to those individuals that wondered about the validity of his information.
     
    3) When it was officially announced Baker signed with the Cubs, it looked as though TD went into protect Thrylos mode. Bonnes makes his comment about not attacking source-citers (I'll come back to this). Brock closes the thread. I find it very sad that there posts and posts of Thrylos attacking other comments, making wild accusations, and pushing around other posters, yet when the tables turn on said individual, TD make moves to protect him. They may say that they weren't, but it can't be viewed any other way.
     
    John Bonnes' comments about not attacking individuals that cite sources because it can scare away others from posting in the future is also way off base. All of the negative comments about Thrylos on the thread were not made because a source was wrong. They were made as a direct result of Thrylos' past posting history, including his own responses in that thread. Aggressive, negative posters like Thrylos do substantially more damage to your new reader base than any single thread like this could possibly do.
    Allowing daily attacks from posters like Thrylos, then protecting them when the tables are turned, is a poor move that smacks in the face of what you say Twins Daily wants to accomplish.
     
    I understand that the TD group at times walks a fine line. Their hope is that this site doesn't turn into a bashing free-for-all, but a stays a more intelligent discourse on all things Twins related. I applaud their efforts in this regard. But if you want to protect somebody, protect your new readers, not somebody like Thrylos. Be more diligent on the slams and rips. Posters at Thrylos' level do not need to be protected, and have earned (both positive and negative) the responses coming to them.
     
    It should also be known that, at the time of this blog, Thrylos has not posted anything since the Baker news came out. No response, nothing. That speaks volumes to me.
     
    I hope that situation reminds the TD staff about where they want this site to go, and what is more important: protecting one individual, or protecting their readership.
  3. Fire Dan Gladden
    There is one aspect of this off season that I don't think anybody has touched on, so I will give it a shot:
     
    What if the Twins stand pat with pitching this off season?
     
    An argument could be made for standing pat. The reasons for spending money have been discussed ad nauseum, lets look at some reasons not to spend:
     
    - The Twins are expected to be at or near the bottom in the AL Central this year. If the Twins brass believe this, then spending any money on any pitcher not expected to be with the team 2-3 years from now makes no sense. Wait until the vaunted minor league group is ready and start spending then.
     
    - While the market for mid-tier starting pitching is deep this year, the recent signings of Haren, Feldman, and Baker may make the remaining SP overpriced and not worth the financial value for the Twins
     
    - Spending big money on a #1 pitcher (Grienke, Sanchez) would not push them enough next year. Why spend that money now? Again, push it off a year or two until it will have a stronger impact..
     
    - The Twins do have some potentially intriguing minor league pitchers that could be starting for them this year: Liam Hendricks, Kyle Gibson, Cole DeVries (maybe even Meyer later in the year). With Scott Diamond and Blackburn/Swarzak/Deduno rounding out the rotation, a mid-tier starter would only take away starts from these guys. I mean we need to see what they can do, right?
     
    - Moving Morneau or Mauer right now would not generate an equal return. That money is already spent. Mauer was great last year. Morneau showed flickers of comeback. Without a "win" trade, there is no reason to move them now.
     
    I personally don't believe this would be the best course of action for the team, but I could at least understand it if the Twins chose to go this route.
     
    (I would be interested in others thoughts on this, but please keep the responses civil. Many of you think taking this route would be a fireable offense, but I am looking for an intelligent discussion on this matter. Thanks.)
  4. Fire Dan Gladden
    Jim Bowden is at it again.
     
    In today's article, he writes about trade candidates for all 30 teams. For the Twins, he lists Justin Morneau. Even though the Twins have said they aren't trading him, and Willingham may be a more likely target. That being said, I can at least swallow that one. The rest of the article is the usual lazy work that he passes off.
     
    Among the 30 players listed are pitchers:
    Brian Matusz
    Luke Hochevar
    Jeremy Hellickson
    Trevor Bauer
    Julio Teheran
    Mike Leake
    Jake Westbrook
     
    Guess how many of these pitchers he has the Twins listed as a potential trade target? That's right... none. Not one.
     
    He does have the Twins listed as a potential trade target for two players:
    Pitcher Vance Worley (though now Span has been traded I don't know what they would want)
    1B Mitch Moreland
     
    Really? We are on the lookout for another 1B? Yeesh.
     
    I know I should stop reading his articles, but it is like a car wreck... you just have to look.
  5. Fire Dan Gladden
    http://twinsdaily.com/showthread.php?611-Bold-Twins-Predictions-for-2012
     
    As we know, national pundits rarely go back and critique their own predictions. I wonder if our Twins Daily posters are made of stronger stuff.
     
    I started a thread before the year asking for bold predictions for the year. This seems like a good time to revisit these. I will start with mine:
     
    - Scott Baker will make less than 10 starts for the Twins, but they will pick up his option for 2013.
    Baker made no starts for Twins this year, but it looks extremely doubtful they will pick up his option.
    Result: half right
    - Matt Capps will save less than 10 games for the Twins.
    Capps ended the year with 14 saves. He was passable before missing the last half of the season due to injury.
    Result: wrong (though right in principle)
     
    - Joe Mauer will catch over 135 games and bat .330.
    Joe played in a career high 147 games this year, but only caught 74 times as the team looked to keep him healthy by reducing his catching load. Joe did bat .319 this year and had one of the better offensive years of his career, but did not get to .330.
    Result: wrong
     
    - In spite of an inconsistent rotation and subpar defense, this team will win at least 81 games.
    The defense was better than expected, but the rotation was historically bad. They ended with 66 wins. Not a pretty number.
    Result: wrong
     
    Feel free to revisit your predictions and comment on your optimistic or pessimistic view of of the team then and now.
  6. Fire Dan Gladden
    The Twins did not make any deadline moves! Hide your women and children!
     
    Anybody listed as non-player personnel in the Twins organization beware of flash mobs of angry Twins "fans" distrought over the fact that there were no trades today.
     
    Ron Gardenhire - You will be doomed to write the same lineup as yesterday! The horror!
     
    No trades to complain about how we were hosed!! No new players to mock and ridicule!!
     
    Terry Ryan... can only whine about ...your "non-moves"...
     
    Can't... watch... Span.. in... lineup... tonight...
     
    AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
     
    (running away from my computer screaming and cursing Bud Selig..)
  7. Fire Dan Gladden
    There is an awful lot of noise being written about how the Twins should blow up their team for prospects, fire the entire staff or administration for some new direction, or call up everybody with a pulse to see how they perform in the "big show". I don't believe you will see any of that happen. I actually believe the Twins won't make any major moves at all. Here's why:
     
    The Twins looked at 2011 and basically chalked it up to a mulligan. With all of the injuries, and poor decision making, they thought the ship could be stabilized basically by letting everybody come back. So, they more or less stood pat and waited to see what happened. Let's look at the three main components: position players, the bullpen, and the starting rotation.
     
    Position Players - During the off-season the Twins lost primarily 2 players: Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. They went out and replaced them with Willingham and Doumit. They brought in a cheap Carroll to provide some stability to the infield, otherwise they just sat back and let everybody get healthy. This has essentially worked. Span and Mauer are back to their old form. Morneau's average is down, but is still showing power and playing almost every day. The Revere is showing improvement. Third base has also shown improvement, though we were expecting Valencia, not Plouffe. It is hard to argue against the philosophy here. Other than replacing what they lost, they let everything work itself out and it has. The offense has improved.
     
    Bullpen - Again, they basically stood pat. To replace Nathan and Mijares, the essentially held open tryouts in spring training. Gray and Burton have both pitched well. Otherwise the bullpen looks surprisingly similar to last years team. Considering the accolades the bullpen has received all year, it's hard to argue that the philosophy didn't work here either.
     
    Starting Pitching - Here things have fallen apart at essentially every level. Right off the bat you lose Baker for the season and Waldrop for the first half due to injuries. Blackburn failed to show improvement and has probably pitched himself off the team. Pavano has regressed, not held form. Liriano has been fairly poor overall, though has recently shown improvement. Factor in the Marquis disaster,and you have accounted for the entirety of the starting pitching staff. Not one of these decisions went the Twins way. Predictably, as a result, the Twins starters are making a run at having the worst starters ERA in baseball history. Standing pat did not work here.
     
    The standing past theory worked in two of the three areas. If it had worked with the starters, where would the Twins be now? Hypothetically, say Baker didn't get hurt; Liriano, Blackburn, Pavano, Marquis give you something resembling league average pitching, with Waldrop waiting in the wings, how many more wins would the Twins have? 5? 8? As they are currently 11 games back, an 8 game gain in the current standings puts them right in the thick of the weak AL Central.
     
    Here is why they won't make any drastic roster changes in the near future:
     
    1) All 9 starters (including DH) are under contract for 2013. Their are currently no offensive holes to fill.
    2) The bullpen is also under team control for next year as well. Capps has the team option, they hold the cards with him.
    3) Doing nothing else, the starting pitching will improve with time. Gibson and Waldrop will be pitching at full strength by next spring. Diamond will fill one of the starter roles.
     
    The only realistic move the team will make is to move Liriano before the deadline. They have no intention of resigning him, and his dog and pony show is getting old. They may move Capps or Pavano, but I would not call that drastic, as neither of them are in the team's future anyways. Willingham, Span, Morneau... all of them are staying put. They will be in the opening day lineup next year.
     
    Shocked? Disappointed? Don't be. Ryan's methodical nature has worked for this team in the past, and will work again. They are usually fairly inactive at the deadline (minor moves, nothing ever major), and maintain trust in what they have (like it or not). As they won't be trading any offensive players or their prospects (the Capps/Ramos deal reminded them why not to move top prospects) for starting pitching. They will go out and sign a starter or two in the $3-5 mil range, short term, because that is what they do. Also because this has given them some success in the past.
     
    Since Mid-May this team has played close to .500 ball. If they are .500 team next year, they may be in the hunt. 2014 puts us in the Sano, Rosario range. Being this close, they will not make any moves that could set them back. In 2007 the Twins traded Luis Castillo at the deadline. At the time the Twins were 54-51, 6 games out. There was considerable clubhouse and PR backlash with that move at that time, with everybody thinking the team had given up on the season. The team never recovered. The Twins finished 79-83, 17 games back, going 25-32 after the trade. They will not move a player like that now, especially if the team is less than 8 games back at the deadline.
     
    All of this being said, could the Twins get overwhelmed in a trade for a Span or Willingham? It's possible, just not very likely.
     
    Sorry to disappoint everybody, but Terry Ryan's methodical nature will be on full display over the next 12-18 months. I suggest you just sit back and enjoy the ride.
  8. Fire Dan Gladden
    Ok. So Liriano has been traded to the White Sox for two marginal prospects. Let's look at at a few things we can assume to be correct:
     
    1) The Twins were not going to offer Liriano the $12.5 mil qualifying offer at the end of the year.
    2) The Twins do not want to roll the dice with Liriano in the future (ie long term contract).
    3) The Twins made the best deal they could as the deadline approached. Like it or not, 2 low level prospects was it.
     
    Now, Let's look at some facts:
    1) $2 million saved is $2 million saved
    2) At this point and juncture, trading to an intra-divisional rival has zero impact on the future. Liriano is a FA at the end of the year, at which point he could sign with any team. As the Twins are out of the race now, it has no bearing on this year whatsoever.
    3) We, the general public, know nothing about anything. We do not know what the Twins front office thinks about Liriano, his pitching, or his state of mind. We do not know what Liriano or his agent told the Twins about next year. We do not know what other offers were on the table for Liriano.
     
    I continuously make the mistake of looking at the comments and reactions to things like the Liriano trade, or other moves the Twins do/don't make. It never ceases to amaze me how much anger and hostility there is at the Twins and the organization. I'll bet the negative comments outweigh the positives ten to one, and the positive comments are met with ridicule and "homer" comments.
     
    It reminds me a lot of my 2 year old. Scream and yell at everything if it isn't perfect. If something doesn't go the way you think it should go, throw a tantrum. If complaining doesn't get your way, complain louder. It makes me wonder how the Twins Daily guys could possibly keep an open mind on things when they are constantly reading whine, whine, whine all day long. All I can say is that I empathize with them as I watch my 2 year old.
     
    Here is my take:
     
    1) The Liriano trade was fine. Liriano's ups and downs made it impossible to get any value for him.
    2) Terry Ryan needs more time to be adequately evaluated. Drafts and prospects need 3-5 years before they can be considered good or bad.
    3) I have said this many times before. Ryan is working under the guidelines set before him by the Pohlads. He is working under budget constraints and who knows what else when it comes to the decisions he has to make every day. The last time Terry Ryan left, it put us back into the situation we have now. If Terry Ryan was fired today, who knows who would come in. Be careful what you wish for.
     
    Folks, rooting for the Twins can be very difficult at times. They don't throw money around like its water (like the Wolves and Vikings have done in the past). We all know how the Pohlads operate, that they treat the Twins more like a business model, and less like a girlfriend. Not every team can have Mark Cuban as their owner. But you have to know and accept this to be a Twins fan. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and mine by having to read your whining.
     
    The Pohlads are not going anywhere. Deal with it. Live with it the way it is. Take the Twins organization for what it is. Otherwise, please take your unfounded whining about the intelligence levels of the front office, managerial staff, etc. and direct it about 4 hours east of here. The Brewers need more "fans" anyways.
  9. Fire Dan Gladden
    There are things in this game that are seriously driving me crazy. An example:
     
    The Twins are up by three runs in the top of the ninth. Capps (or Perkins or Burton) is warming up in the pen to come in to pitch the bottom of the 9th for the save. The Twins hit a homerun making it a four run game. Capps will sit down and Burnett will start warming up. Why? Because it is no longer a save situation. The only instance in sports where a managers decision is based solely on whether or not a stat will be accumulated (Thank you Tony LaRussa). I could blame Gardy for this, but virtually all managers do this. It is insane. If they changed the save rule to be a 2 run lead or a 1 run lead, I wonder how "closer" management would be changed? Stupidity.
     
    While I hate the save with a passion (I am with the argument that you use your best pitcher when they are needed the most, not necessarily the 9th inning), it is not the only thing currently annoying me:
     
    -The Twins are pitching. The other team hits a homerun. The Twins hit the next batter and the umpire warns both benches. Why does the ump do this? Now the other team has to sit on this a "even the score" on another day. Stupidity. On top of that, Gardy will insist on coming out, arguing, and getting ejected on the pretext of "protecting" his players. Why? His players know how he feels about this, his ejection serves no purpose. Again, stupidity.
     
    -The Twins are up 9-1 in the bottom of the 9th inning. Billy Butler leads off with a single. The Twins do not hold him on. He takes 2nd base without a throw. He does not get credit for a stolen base. Why? He is still taking a risk. If he trips and falls down halfway to second, the Twins would throw down and tag him out. He would get charged with a stolen base attempt and a caught stealing. You can't have it both ways. Stupidity.
     
    -The White Sox are up 5-0 in the 8th inning and are pitching a no-hitter. Ben Revere comes up and lays down a bunt attempt. Whether it is successful or not, he will be crucified in the press for breaking an "unwritten rule". The Sox may even disparage the call. Why? Isn't the goal to win the game? To get hits and score runs? Stupidity. Many of the unwritten rules make little sense to me, but this one is really bad.
     
    -Virtually all left handers are allowed to balk on pick-off attempts to 1st base (I'm talking to you Mark Buerhle). The 45 degree rule is rarely enforced. When it is, the world comes crashing down around the umpires. Why? Not because of the call, but because they don't call it consistently. Stupidity. Make it easy. Put a 45 degree line from the rubber. Pitcher steps over it when throwing to first? Balk.
     
    What's getting under your skin?
  10. Fire Dan Gladden
    Jim Bowden has yet another "wonderful" article over at ESPN discussing 5 players who could be traded before the trade deadline. Of the players he has listed is Justin Morneau. He talks primarily about Morneau being a risk and hurt, but has still slugged .490. Let's review:
     
    1) The Twins were leery enough on Morneau to try to keep him out of the field as much as possible this reason. Only when Chris Parmalee totally stunk did they start moving him back to 1B.
     
    2) Morneau has already spent time on the DL this year.
     
    3) Morneau is owed about $10 mil left for this year and $14 mil for next year.
     
    4) He is one awkward movement away from being out possibly forever.
     
    The Twins will not eat any of Morneau's salary for the sake of moving him. Without the Twins eating salary, no team would trade for Justin Morneau, even for a marginal prospect.
     
    While I agree that the team is in rebuilding mode and would trade almost anybody on the team for the right price, nobody will make that offer for Mr. Morneau.
     
    Please ESPN, give us somebody with something intelligent to say.
  11. Fire Dan Gladden
    For those of you too young to remember the Mick when he played for the Twins, let me take a few minutes to enlighten you:
     
    Mickey Hatcher was loved in Minnesota. Not so much because he was a great player (though he was decent enough to be a semi-regular starter), but because he was slightly crazy. Everybody loved him. There are a few stories about him I would like to share.
     
    On May 4, 1984, Dave Kingman hit a towering fly ball that went up through one of the drainage holes holes in the ceiling. The ball never came back down. After a few minutes discussion, the umpires decided to give Kingman a double. This is relatively known. What is not quite as known is that the following day, the grounds crew went up into the roof to fetch the ball out. Well, Mick wanted to be a part of this, so they announced that the worker was going to drop the ball and Mick was going to catch it "so it would be an out yesterday". Local news came to cover it and everything. Well the worker couldn't get to the ball, but they did drop a substitute ball. Good ole' Mick, waiting patiently underneath the hole missed the ball. It hit him on the way down, never got a glove on it. Classic.
     
    I had the fortune of being at the last game of the season in 1986. It was a home game, and the Twins were coming off a horrible year. Anyways, Viola pitched a shutout and thew Twins went out on a winning note. After the game, many of the Twins players came back on the field and threw used batting gloves, hats, and other items into the stands (I still rock my Kent Hrbek batting glove). Not Mickey Hatcher. Mick actually climbs up into the stands and sits with a large group of fans out by the left field foul pole. He's giving away his hat, jersey, shoes. Everybody's going nuts around him.
     
    Hatcher left the Twins after 1986 and went to the Dodgers. Though he missed 1987 here, he got his ring with the 88' Los Angeles team. That is where he hooked up with Mike Scioscia. Scioscia became manager of the Angels, Mickey became his hitting coach. Until today that is. The Angels let him go, needing a scapegoat for their currently bad offense and Albert Pujols' slow start.
     
    You can read stories today about how much the fans of Los Angeles like Hatcher because he is still a big kid at heart and still loves the game. He and Mike Redmond are very similar in that vein. If the Twins do decide to bring in a new hitting coach, Mickey Hatcher would be an ideal fit.
     
    Here's to hoping we see him back in the game soon.
  12. Fire Dan Gladden
    At the end of 2011, the Twins had some choices to make on a handful of players. Some they released, others the chose not to sign, others they did resign. Lets take a look at how those decisions have fared out so far, along with the players brought in to replace those that left:
     
    Michael Cuddyer - left via free agency
    Replaced by Josh Willingham
    [TABLE=width: 844]

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    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]11[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]26[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].284[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].347[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].468[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].815[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]108[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    The signing at the time revolved around 2 primary issues: Cuddyer's ability to play multiple positions, and the dollar differences in the contract (Cuddyer signed for 3 yrs/$33 mil, Willingham for 3 yrs/$21 mil). I don't believe the Twins were worried about losing the Cuddyer flexibility with Mauer getting more reps at 1B. Their greater concern was making sure they had an effective right-handed bat in the outfield. Cuddyer has been decent for the Rockies, but Willingham has been everything and then some for the Twins. He is out pacing Cuddyer in virtually every category, while providing outfield defense that is no worse than what Cuddyer brought to the table. Willingham is one of the few bright spots for the the team thus far. Factor in the contract and it looks even better.
     
    Good decision? Yes
     
     
    Joe Nathan - Left via free agency
    Twins chose to resign Matt Capps
    [TABLE=width: 844]

    [TD=class: xl65, width: 117, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]W[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]L[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]ERA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]G[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]GF[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SV[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]IP[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]H[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]R[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]ER[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]HR[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SO[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]ERA+[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]WHIP[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]H/9[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BB/9[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SO/9[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Capps[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]4.09[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]11[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]11[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]11[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]9[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]6[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]102[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0.909[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]7.4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0.8[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]4.9[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Nathan[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2.84[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]13[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]13[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]7[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]12.2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]12[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]14[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]157[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1.105[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]8.5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1.4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]9.9[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    Joe Nathan never gave the Twins the chance to resign him, taking a 3 yr/#23 mil contract from Texas without giving the Twins a chance to reply. The Capps signing (1 yr/$4.5 mil with $6 mill TO) was not met well in Twins land and Capps' performance thus far has not merited a change in that opinion. Nathan had a bad outing early, but has been very strong for the Rangers as of late. While the Twins would love to have Nathan back, the contract dollars for a closer coming off surgery were not merited from a last-place team. Capps has been barely tolerable, but the signing will look worse if they pick up the option.
     
    Good decision? Yes (but only because the Twins are not currently a winning team)
     
     
    Jason Kubel - Left via free agency
    Twins signed Ryan Doumit
    [TABLE=width: 846]

    [TD=class: xl65, width: 117, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]G[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]PA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]AB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]R[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]H[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]3B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]HR[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]RBI[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]CS[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SO[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]OBP[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SLG[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]OPS[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 58, bgcolor: transparent]OPS+[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Doumit[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]27[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]101[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]92[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]10[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]22[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]3[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]17[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]6[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]18[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].239[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].277[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].424[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].701[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 58, bgcolor: transparent]93[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Kubel[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]29[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]119[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]105[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]9[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]29[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]6[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]3[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]12[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]14[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]31[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].276[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].361[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].419[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].780[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 58, bgcolor: transparent]112[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    Kubel signed a 3 yr/$25 M contract with Arizona. The Twins never really made a run at him, choosing instead to sign Doumit to a 1 yr/$3 mil contract. Doumit's ability to play catcher was a big reason in this decision, with Kubel essentially being a DH with some outfield capabilities. While Kubel has been slightly better offensively, his price tag never fit in with the Twins immediate future. Doumit has produced as expected, and has allowed Mauer to play some extended 1B. Doumit could be considered a candidate to be a part of this team for the future.
     
    Good decision? Yes
     
     
    Matt Tolbert left via free agency
    Twins replaced with Jamey Carroll
    [TABLE=width: 846]

    [TD=class: xl65, width: 117, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]G[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]PA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]AB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]R[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]H[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]3B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]HR[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]RBI[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]CS[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SO[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]BA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]OBP[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]SLG[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]OPS[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl67, width: 58, bgcolor: transparent]OPS+[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Carroll[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]30[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]127[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]110[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]14[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]24[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]5[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]7[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]3[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]14[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent]14[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].218[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].312[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].264[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl70, width: 56, bgcolor: transparent].576[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl69, width: 58, bgcolor: transparent]64[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Tolbert[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl71, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 3]No major league stats[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    Matt Tolbert was allowed to leave, after which he signed a minor league contract with the Cubs. Nothing missed with Tolbert leaving. Carroll signed a 2 yr/$6.5 mil contract to become the Twins full time shortstop. While maybe not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, Carroll seems to be a better fit as the UI, than a full-time SS. Offensively his numbers are down so far, but he has been better than advertised defensively. Carroll's ability to play multiple infield positions while bringing some veteran leadership to the infield makes this signing look good so far.
     
    Good decision? Yes
     
     
    Kevin Slowey was traded to the Colorado Rockies in December after the Twins decided they did not want to pay Slowey in arbitration. Slowey was subsequently traded to the Indians, where he was unable to make their roster out of spring training. His current ERA or 5.89, along with a WHIP of 1.49, at AAA is making this trade look pretty good about now considering the Slowey's 2012 salary is $2.75 mil.
     
    Good decision? Yes
     
    Considering the current state of the Twins, it's hard to say that the Twins made shrewd moves during the off-season. Their pitching staff is in shambles, and they are coming off a historic string of offensive ineptitude. But on a case by case basis, they Twins made decisions that are currently showing to be improvements over last year. That being said, they still have many holes to fill for the future and these small upgrades, while helpful and necessary, will not vault them back to respectability
  13. Fire Dan Gladden
    Lets take a look at the stats for 3 utility infielders during the first 3 years of their career:
     
    [TABLE=width: 625]

    [TD=class: xl65, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent][/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]G[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]AB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]R[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]H[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]2B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]3B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]HR[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]RBI[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]SB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]BB[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]SO[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent]BA[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent]OBP[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent]SLG[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent]OPS[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Player A[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]117[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]363[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]57[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]78[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]20[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]1[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]11[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]39[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]3[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]32[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]91[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].215[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].283[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].366[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].649[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Player B[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]106[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]317[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]32[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]69[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]12[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]0[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]8[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]33[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]24[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]92[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].218[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].277[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].361[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].609[/TD]


    [TD=class: xl65, bgcolor: transparent]Player C[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]211[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]665[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]57[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]146[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]19[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]4[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]2[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]37[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]12[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]37[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl66, width: 46, bgcolor: transparent]128[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].220[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].264[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].269[/TD]
    [TD=class: xl68, width: 64, bgcolor: transparent].533[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    All of these players provide relatively comparable offensive skills. Players A and B give you a little more power, but give up speed to player C. All three have been described as "gamers" and "gritty". Players A and B have played for the Twins the past few years. Player C never played for the Twins, but is definitely more well known. Think you got it?
     
    The first two you should have figured out to be Trevor Plouffe (Player A) and Luke Hughes (Player .
     
    Player C, well lets give you a little more information on him. After three years of baseball, he left to play another professional sport. While not a superstar, he became a starter on a team that won two championships, and two other teams that were the runner-up. Not there yet?
    One more hint: at the time of his retirement he was one of two NBA players to have over 900 made 3-pointers. The answer?
     
    Danny Ainge. Ainge was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977. He played 3 seasons with the Blue Jays before being drafted by the Boston Celtics. He quit baseball to play basketball. He went on to win championships with the likes of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. He was known in the NBA for being aggressive, fiery, and hard-nosed.
     
    If Ainge was in the Twins organization today, you know he would be a lifer.
     
    One more fact about Ainge: He was the only person to be a High School All-American in sports: Baseball, Football, and Basketball. Bo Jackson, eat your heart out.
  14. Fire Dan Gladden
    Considering the Twins record this year, I too believe it is time for the fans to revolt. I think that a 6-16 record after a 99 loss season is reprehensible, and should in no way be tolerated in the state of Minnesota. I mean who do the Pohlads think we are? The Pirates? The Royals? That being said I have created a step-by-step guide in exactly how we should respond to our current situation.
     
    1) The Twins fans need to form a PAC for the exclusive purpose of throwing out of office all of the lawmakers that voted for a new stadium. Seriously, after pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into this stadium, we have the right to expect this team to be in first place every year. Our lawmakers should know this and have now given up their right to represent us.
     
    2) Fans should march on Target field and demand ticket refunds, along with an hourly wage, for the time spent watching every Twins home loss. Seriously. Watching this team lose is hard work. We deserve to get paid for that time.
     
    3) We need to file a class-action lawsuit again the Pohlad family for ruining this storied franchise. Who do they think they are, running this team as a business, and not an all consuming hobby like George Steinbrenner or Mark Cuban. It is the right of every fan to expect their owner to put the fans needs in front of their own, and dump tens of millions of dollars into the team every year in an effort to win now. The lawsuit will demand that they sell the team through the form of an election, similar to a political election. The sales price will be set, and prospective owners will have to campaign and be voted in by the fans in the state of Minnesota.
     
    4) New guidelines will have to be set for the new owner. These guidelines will include the following:
    - The owner shall not have a payroll of less than $120 million dollars, with a minimum of 5% increase annually.
    - Ticket price changes will be based on the number of wins the previous year. If the Twins win 90 games, than the ticket prices will be 90% of this year's price next year. Ticket prices can only go up if the team exceeds 100 wins. The exception to this rule being if the Twins win the World Series, ticket prices will not be lowered for the following year.
    - The Twins need to go to the World Series no less than 3 times in any 5 year window.
    - The team is required to win no less than 89 games every year.
    If any of these guidelines is not met, the owner will be required to sell the team to somebody who can meet these criteria.
     
    5) The new owner will implement the following rules for players and the coaching staff going forward:
    - Injuries and days off will not be tolerated. Any player getting injured or needing a day off will be subject to a fine, with the proceeds going to the ticket holders for the games that individual missed.
    - Any player not providing at least a +1.0 WAR every year is subject to forfeiture of their entire salary, and agrees to be sent to AAA until the team sees fit to recall them or release them with no financial obligations whatsoever.
    - The manager and coaches will no longer be able to use the following words in describing their players: gritty, gamer, hustle(s), workhorse, or any other adjective along those lines.
    - The manager and coaches will no longer be able to add the following suffixes to names to create nicknames for the players (for example: Blacky, Nicky, Matty).
     
    We fans need to stand up for our rights. This poor showing will no longer be tolerated. We need to act now!!
  15. Fire Dan Gladden
    After today, Matt Capps has now given up runs in 4 of his 8 outings. Comparing this to other pitchers
     
    High Leverage:
    Jared Burton - 2 of 10
    Glen Perkins - 3 of 9
     
    Low Leverage:
    Jeff Gray - 2 of 10
    Alex Burnett - 2 of 9
    Brian Duensing - 2 of 10
     
    Looks like that $4.5 million was well spent.
     
    And I don't want to hear about sample size...
  16. Fire Dan Gladden
    With all of the blogs, threads, and comments about blowing up the Twins and promoting all prospects to the big club, I would like to remind you of a few things:
     
    1) Calling players up starts the clock on these individuals toward arbitration and higher salaries. Even the Harpers and Trouts of the world where kept in the minors for periods of time to slow down their service time.
     
    2) Calling players up before they are ready can have a negative effect on their development. Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young were both rushed through the minors only to find they were not adequately prepared. Neither of them has, or probably will, reach their full potential. You can say the same about Revere and Parmalee not quite being ready for the show, but being pressed into service. It will be interesting to see if they can continue to improve.
     
    3) The minors are set up more for teaching. Yes, they play to win, but there is more emphasis on learning and improving on specific things in game situations. There is less opportunity for that in the majors.
     
    Everybody needs to slow down and stop overreacting to the Twins current predicament. Pushing up prospects when they are not ready is neither the short term or long term answer.
  17. Fire Dan Gladden
    There is a nice little article today on ESPN about MLB players and their nicknames. I saw Josh "The Hammer" Willingham mentioned, but did not see any other current Twins mentioned. That being said, I thought I would give it a try:
     
    Matt "I need a night" Capps
    Ryan "Just" Doumit
    Ben "Don't call me Paul" Revere
    Justin "Less yes" Morneau
    Denard "Spic and" Span
    Alex Burnett "Burn it all"
     
    And lastly
     
    Dan "I'll be" Gladden "he's fired"
     
    (couldn't resist)
  18. Fire Dan Gladden
    Over the last few weeks, many people have posted about the Twins lack of wins. The poor record last year, along with the slow start this year has people calling for everything from blowing up the team, to firing the manager and front office, to increasing the payroll 20% in an effort to bring in more talent. I suppose a strong amount of emotion helps to show the strength of the fan base.
     
    Over the offseason, the Twins did not blowup the team. Rather they patched up holes with some established, relatively low cost veterans, and invested a great amount into the hope that the injuries from last year would rectify themselves this year, and the Mauer, Morneau, Span, Baker, etc. would all return to previous levels of production. I would classify this as hedging their bets. If the team is in the hunt come July, then everything worked according to plan and they can make moves for improement. If they are faltering, they can claim that the moves and recoveries did not go as expected. Essentially giving them something to tell the fan base regardless of the record.
     
    We all hope that it works, and the team returns to it's winning ways. But if it doesn't in the short term, what comes next? As a fan, what do you want the team to do? I think your wants comes down to what type of fan are you: Do you enjoy the ride or the glory.
     
    If you enjoy the ride, then you have enjoyed the last 10 years of Twins baseball. Watching a team that was always good, but rarely great (2006, what a shame). Knowing that the Twins would never trade any prospects, never trade for big name rentals or big dollar contracts. Rather they would be content knowing that they had a shot to win it all within their constrants, but understanding their chances of winning it all were relatively low.
     
    If you enjoy the glory, these last 10 years must have driven you out your mind. Knowing that the team was "this close" to winning it all, but unwilling to pull the trigger to bring in 1-2 high dollar free-agents or trade away the future for today. Enjoying the glory means you are willing to accept the wild cycles of wins and loses, knowing that you may have to accept 5-7 years of horrible baseball for a 2 year window where you may be the best team in baseball. After the 2 year window, you dump all of your good, close-to-free-agent players for a new cache of prospects, and the cycle starts again.
     
    It's really tough to have it both ways. Personally, I enjoy the ride. Give me competitive baseball year in and year out any time. But that's me.
     
    What about you, the ride or the glory?
  19. Fire Dan Gladden
    In response to Nick Nelson's post:
     
    http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?391-Access-and-Accountability
     
    I'm not a journalist. Journalism was not my college major. Heck, I barely read my high school paper. I am just a Twins fan that reads too many articles and posts trying to learn as much about my team as possible. I will read ESPN and FOX, to the Strib, to blogs, even comments. I am interested to see what the news is on my team and what the general perception is on that news.
     
    While the media has typically unfettered access to the teams they cover, they are bound by that access and the responsibilities that come with it. Media writers will temper their responses in order to keep the players talking to them or to stay in the good graces of the team. It's not always a complete sell out, but it does come with the territory. Bloggers, on the other hand, are not usually bound by these constrictions. The write and say exactly what they want, bound by very little. But the truth is that a majority of your more popular sports bloggers are journalists. They have the degrees and most have actual team coverage experience. While they do not have these same constraints as the media, they will typically write using the same ethical standards as your main stream writers. I believe this is a major reason why they do become popular. They can evoke trust in their readers
     
    Nick is partially right. Many sports bloggers do write from a fan's point of view. But they are generally not perceived that way. Sports bloggers are half-fan, half-media. I have been reading Gleeman and Strohs for a long time. They both bring insight that your average, every-day fan will not have. They maintain their readership by providing information that is in-depth and accurate, with well formed opinions. They also throw out information that could be considered "inside information" along the way. I also have no problem with this, as I enjoy different points of views and like to see how these items are discussed outside of television, radio, or the newspaper. But to classify them as "just" fans is not entirely accurate.
     
    I continue to be amazed at how the mainstream media attempts to knock down the bloggers. An analogy:
    Do I believe that the best 500+ players in the world play in the NBA? No. I believe I could field a team of non-NBA guys that could easily hold their own in the NBA. Multiple teams actually. Guys make it to the NBA due to skill, politics, and luck. Some in the NBA do not belong there. Many that don't make it to the NBA can be as good or better, but are not in for any number of reasons. Does that mean they stop playing? Heck no. They play 5-6 times per week. Don't believe me, go watch a Summer League game downtown sometime.
     
    Can you guess who is who?
     
    Mainstream media only has to fear the bloggers if they themselves are not performing their job. If the Strib is worried about losing readership, hire better writers and churn out better content. Same with ESPN. People will follow the stories and personalities that they like. If newspapers and other mainstream outlets are truly doomed, I would advise the Mackey's and Reusse's of world to lay off the bloggers because blogging will be the only only option left to them.
     
    Keep up the good work guys.
  20. Fire Dan Gladden
    As you can tell from my handle, I do not have a great amount of respect for the radio work of a certain Mr. Dan Gladden. Over the last few years, my circle of friends and I have had countless discussions over what he does/doesn't bring to the broadcasts, and why on Earth the Twins continue to keep him in the booth. Quite frankly, I do not know why he is still there. Anybody who listens to the games hears the same things I do:
     
    - Going off on tangents while there is action going on. Somehow it will go from 1-1 count, 0 outs, nobody on, to 0-2 count with a runner on first and one out while he is talking about the chicken he had at the restaurant last night.
     
    - Poor descriptions of the plays. Example: Revere hits a fly ball to right field, the centerfielder Smith runs over to make the play, and Revere will end up at third base with a triple. Ugh.
     
    - Extended moments.....................................................................of...............................................dead air.
     
    I understand that the Twins want a well-known ex-player handling their color commentary. It is a common practice among many teams designed to bring an "insiders" point-of-view to the broadcast that others could not give. The problem is that the also let him handle the play-by-play which he is unquestionably unqualified to do. Some PBP guys are Homers (Paul Allen), obnoxious (Hawk Harrelson) or legends nationally (Vin Scully) or locally (Bob Uecker). Dan Gladden is just not very good.
     
    Having Dan Gladden handle play-by-play is a poor representation of the Twins the excellence they work so hard to project on the field. Everyone talks about the "Twins Way" and the focus on the right way to do things: fundamentals, execution, error-free baseball. It's egregious that they can't hold their radio booth to the same standards.
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