Dakota Native

It has been well over a year since I have responded or commented on a topic. I love my Twins and it is a grievous sin not to have participated in such a long time. That said, my past comments have been centered around the current wave of talent that is descending on the major league team. Having experienced past rebuilding efforts (can anyone say Scott Stahoviac(sp?) or Brad Havens), rejoiced at the two World Series Championships the 1980's rebuilding effort produced, it is my opinion that we are seeing the finest wave of talent since the 1960s group that moved to the Twin Cities. Of course times were different then. I have longed to see a lineup card with the names of Buxton, Sano, Polanco, Kepler, Rosario, Gibson, Berrios, etc. in it and a bullpen full of throwers like the Nasty Boys of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds. Well, that vision or dream is upon us with Burdi, ​Reed, Melotakis, Rogers, Jones, etc. soon to be cutting their teeth on major league competition. I long to see the days when the Twins treat the Yankees like yesterday's news and throw them out with the trash. Time has come to dominate the American League. Maybe we are a year or two away, but we can see it coming. Let's hope it is not like the George Thorogood line from "I Drink Alone": The other night I lay sleeping And I woke from a terrible dream So I called up my pal Jack Daniel's And his partner Jimmy Beam And we drank alone, yeah With nobody else Yeah, you know when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself I am getting too old to live through another rebuilding cycle. Let this be the one that all Twins fans can rejoice in. So I am Bullish on the team and bullpen.

There is way too much angst in regard to the Twins bullpen, especially given it is early in spring training. I have coached high school and travel teams for over 20 years and trust me the kids perform way better after a few weeks of training than at the beginning of it. I would start to sweat bullets in two weeks it the trend is not towards a solid bullpen. Historically, the easiest thing to fix is a bullpen. There are plenty of failed starters out there with two good pitches that can be culled from the ash heap of major league and minor league pitchers. Terry has assembled a nice collection of what were once promising prospects or former decent major league performers hoping to prove their doubters wrong. He has a nice collection of minor league pitchers he can bring in (if he is willing to speed up the development process) to fill in holes. I just think Billy Smith had no eye for talent and made a plethora of bad personnel decisions last year. The see that lack of any stud starting pitchers as a larger problem. We have too many soft throwers who consider it a good day if they go five innings. Failure to go 7-8 consistently ruins even the best bullpens and in our case produces a disaster. What we need is some of the Nolan Ryan attitude in Minnesota and start to challenge our starters to grow a pair. We also need a bullpen with a pair as well. The courage to throw inside and to make hitters nervous to step in the box.