Michigan Twins Fan

My name says it all. I have lived in the state of Michigan since 2001 when I left South Dakota for college. I live in Metro Detroit, about 45 minutes from Comerica, so I get to see the Twins a lot. I subscribe to MLB.TV so that I can watch a majority of the games. Of course, the Twins play the Tigers often enough that there are annoying blackout restrictions which, frankly, I don't understand. I appreciate the legal thinking, but it's stupid. I don't have cable. I can't access Fox Sports Detroit, nor would I want to. However, when the Twins are in town, I can't watch the Twins feed because #archaisms. The Tigers fans are generally pretty good. Detroit sports fans can be obnoxious, but most of that is relegated to Wolverines and Spartans. I am usually the only Twins or Vikings fan that anyone knows here so when good things happen (2017 for both teams, this year for the Twins), I get a lot of good vibes. However, when bad things happen--especially at the hands of a Detroit team--I get the brunt of trash talk. Lastly, I went to grad school at Villanova. My wife is a Wolverine. The 2018 NCAA Final Four was nuts, and when 'Nova met Michigan in the championship game, I had to go to a bar to watch. My wife and I couldn't watch it together. Luckily, Sparty is salty AF so I found a MSU bar that was hosting a Villanova watch party. It was pretty awesome. After we won, I started purchasing the necessary championship swag. My wife said that I can't buy this stuff every time one of my teams wins a championship. I replied with, "I'm a Twins and Vikings fan. Yes I can. We never win championships!"

I subscribe to the Athletic, and I live in Metro Detroit. The media I read has said nothing about the tight-fisted Pohlads. It's something I only hear from Twins's fans, and, frankly, I think it's tired. As I've said before, Terry Ryan bragged about the money he would leave on the table. Bragged. The Pohlads were always willing to spend more but Ryan's mindset was stuck in the previous generation. This FO has increased the staff and coaching budget while inking the largest FA deal in team history. This isn't the same ol' Pohlads whom people let live in their heads rent free. Which is ironic considering their disdain for the family's frugality.

Pitchers who come from the Japanese league to the MLB seem to be more durable than their MLB-only counterparts. Odo's numbers improved under our system, and Maeda's numbers are close to Odo's. Perhaps he'll improve here. I don't know. We fans speak from both sides of our mouths; we complain when they hoard prospects, and we complain when they give them away. I remember when Curtis Granderson was a part of the Max Scherzer deal. Most fans in Detroit were apoplectic because Grandy was such a fan favorite. Deal ended up being pretty sweet for the D. Let's hope this one is as well.

I'm not sure that abrogating every example as an anomaly is the right tack. Garret Cole took the money. It was money that was never within the realm of possibility for the Twins. Some players are in it just for the money, but, like actors, if they are in demand, then they can be particular. Andrew Luck walked away because there is more to life for him than entertaining. Calvin Johnson, took. For that matter, Mauer had a few serviceable years ahead of him, but chose to call it quits. These people aren't automata. I think we do them a disservice assuming that they'll chase money. Would Wheeler have come to Minny if he were offered 150,000,000? Maybe. I doubt it, though. At the end of the day, you and are just talking past each other. I've seen enough demonstrable growth by this FO to assume goodwill, and there have been enough articles from "those who got away" for me to think that, for whatever reason, destination was an important factor in them not coming to Minneapolis. It sucks because it seems like we have a good thing going right now.

Rendon and Wheeler have both cited location as a primary concern. (In Rendon's case, the "LA lifestyle" was a legitimate concern for not signing with the Dodgers.) Wheeler turned down more money in Chicago to live in Philly, listing his in-law's home in NJ as a determining factor. Cliff Lee famously spurned a sweet deal from the Yankees because he wanted nothing to do with New York. For guys like Keuchel, whose market is a bit more depressed, money talks. For guys who have options, these personal concerns take center stage.

How long did it take Twins' fans to start blaming Mauer and the FO for Mauer's contract? Can't spend enough, and then they spend too much. The FO works in a milieu with 29 other organizations and FAs who have their own desires. This isn't as simple as "offer more money!" I'm a teacher in Michigan. You couldn't pay me enough to move my family to Louisiana to teach. Or California. Or a lot of places. Geography, culture, perception, etc. These things matter to ball players as much as they do to us.

I was in middle and high school in South Dakota in the 90s. I loved baseball, but those Twins teams were awful. I went to college in Michigan, and the 2001 team was exciting and helped tie me to home. The 2002 team had me hooked. I got MLB.TV in 2003, and I haven't looked back since. Even in the 90s remix AKA 2011-2014, 2016, 2018, I would still listen to a few a innings a night on my phone--to the chagrin of my wife. This past year I deployed to the middle east, and the team really helped keep me upbeat. In the summer of 2017, I was watching the previous night's game in the morning while my toddler was eating breakfast. It was a ritual for us--I'm a teacher so have the summer's off. After a month or so of watching morning games together, she looked at me and said, "Daddy, will you take me to the baseball game?" I was on Seat Geek (Sponsered by Gleeman and the Geek) immediately, and two weeks later we were in Comerica Park, bedecked in Twins gear and her with her Build-a-Bear in a Twins uniform. Awesome.

The manager position is an interesting one. Molly had tw good (not great) years and two disastrous years. He pretty much had the same team in all four. Rocco comes, and knocks it out of the park. He had different coaches and he had upper management who are coming into their own (something Molly never had), but like leaders in all sectors, you get the accolades as well as the blame. I'm happy for him, and I am enjoying the envy that is our organization right now.

If he's the fourth or fifth starter, then I'm all for this. If he's the third option, then I would pass.

Crap on it? Not so much. We were ecstatic. And if both Omari Spellman hadn't been forced to sit and Phil Booth hadn't gotten injured in 2017, we would have had a legitimate chance at a threepeat. My point, though, is that one of the criticisms since the BE realignment is that the conference doesn't necessarily test a team. 'Nova had been in the top 10 more than any other team since 2014, had more wins than any other team in NCAA history for a four year span (2014-2018), and yet were bumped out of the tournament in the second round twice. Prior to realignment, when Jay Wright went to the tournament, when the BE included 'Cuse, Beileins's WV, Louisville, and UCONN among others, he made it to the Sweet 16 twice, the Elite twice, and the Final Four once. He didn't make the tournament every year because the conference was so stacked, but when he did he went further than he has every year since realignment, 2016 and 2018 being the (amazing) outliers. MSU, Duke, NC, and KU are primed for the tournament not just because they field great teams every year, but because their conferences are virutal abattoirs.

But you're not playing all teams from the other divisions; you're playing the best. Our winning percentage against "winning" teams was below .500. And the Red Sox were a good team who are saddeled in a division with two great teams. If you traded the two Sox teams, I would wager that you would have seen more wins by the Red Sox and fewer by the White Sox. The numbers you've posted are interesting, but for this discussion who we did against divisions writ large is unimportant. How we did against playoff teams is, and the Yankees and Rays did a number on us while we got a series win against the 'Stros. I think there's a good analog to my college team, Villanova. The Big East is good competition, but it's not the Big 10 or the ACC. And 2016 and 2018 excepted, it shows in the tournament.

One thing the Yankees have going for them is a relatively competitive division. It helps that their 104 wins came against decent teams (Baltimore aside). Also, sample size is a thing. We had a winning record against the Astros this year, but none of us would have realistically expected to beat them in a playoff series. Unfortunately we didn't have it for this series.

My brother and his wife lived in D.C. for a decade. I enjoy the Nats and consider them my NL team. If post-season futility is your bag, then by all means choose them. You'll feel right at home.