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In an effort to make Target Field a more inclusive and welcoming place for all fans, the Twins unveiled the UnitedHealthcare Sensory Suite on Tuesday afternoon. Here's what you need to know. Friday’s highly-anticipated home opener isn’t the only exciting, fresh beginning at Target Field. Joined by UnitedHealthcare CEO Brett Edelson, the Twins officially unveiled their brand new UnitedHealth Sensory Suite on Tuesday afternoon at Target Field. Grounded in providing a more inclusive gameday experience for all fans, the suite will strive to provide a welcoming, compatible, and calming environment for neuroatypical fans seeking respite. “Since opening in 2010, we’ve worked really hard to ensure that Target Field is accessible to everyone,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said on Tuesday. “This suite is going to allow so many people who maybe otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy a day at the ballpark to do so now.” The suite features several sensory rooms with various traits, toys, and features catering to fans of different age generations. “It’s a very intricate design of spaces that are quiet, spaces that have sensitivity around different sensory disorders, and features to be inclusive to all fans,” Edelson said. Yet the real difference maker is the front portion of the suite, which offers a beautiful overlook of the playing surface at Target Field. “One of the greatest pieces of feedback that we got during the process was ‘how can we actually see the game?’” Edelson said. “Having the fantastic view of the field, that was so important to everyone.” And while other professional sports teams offer similar spaces, the sensory suite at Target Field goes above and beyond. “Other teams have spaces like this, but ours takes it to the next level,” Twins Senior Manager of Business Communications Matt Hodson said. “Any team that has a space is doing the right thing, but oftentimes those spaces are tucked away in a service area and can be just one room. We are being very intentional with the individualized spaces in this process.” Providing proper and inclusive accommodations for fans is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. That’s why the Twins, UnitedHealthcare, and Fraser will be working with guest service staff members to help equip them to best serve neuroatypical fans throughout Target Field. “We took a step back and said, ‘Not everyone is going to come to the suite, (some fans) want to have that gameday experience at the ballpark,’” Edelson said. “We are offering training to all the guest service staff members so they can help families make the most of their gameday experience.” In an industry that is often viewed through a lens of results on the field, it’s important to remember the human side of baseball. The Twins have long served as champions of bridging the gap between baseball and the needs of our society. “We found through our listenings in the community that this was something that we were missing,” Hodson said. “We were missing the environment where families and individuals who are neuroatypical could enjoy the ballpark experience.” And while the implementation certainly creates a great story, the Twins organization will continue to use its platform to best serve community members of all walks of life. "This organization does the right thing because it’s the right thing to do,” Hodson said. “When we say ‘all are welcome at Target Field, we truly mean it.” UnitedHealthcare Sensory Suite: What to Know The new UnitedHealthcare Sensory Suite is an attempt to provide a different way to watch #MNTwins games for neuroatypical fans that might be a little overwhelmed at the ballpark. It includes a balcony that overlooks the game and two inside rooms that provide a quieter environment, designed by UnitedHealthcare in partnership with Fraser, with neuroatypical kids and adults in mind. The suite is in the newly branded UnitedHealthcare Suite Level, which most fans previously didn’t have access to. It’s right next to the elevators near the right-field foul pole, so it’s very accessible. Twins game day staff will be trained to best serve neuroatypical fans that may not want to use the suite. The Twins, UnitedHealthcare, and Fraser will provide sensory kits for guests to check out, free of charge, at Guest Services stations throughout Target Field. The sensory suite was a designed build, meaning that additions and recommendations from field experts were utilized in the building process. View full article

If you're like me, you love sports and hope to make a career out of it. Dave St. Peter spoke at my school this week, and this is what I learned. On Monday, Dave St. Peter was kind enough to speak about his rapid ascension through the Twins front office and his career at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN. Now, this was a very cool opportunity. St. Peter’s late father, Dom, was a 1954 graduate of Saint John’s, making this opportunity for St. Peter to speak extra special. For those of you who don’t know, I am a sophomore at Saint John’s. As a lifelong Twins fan and someone who aspires to have a job in professional sports some day, I knew this speech would be very inspiring and educational to me. For those of you who also want to work in sports, or even if you are wondering just how St. Peter went from intern to CEO in only twelve years, I have a few main takeaways from this speech. Be willing to put yourself out there and create a portfolio Growing up, St. Peter was a kid who knew he loved sports. He was always obsessing over statistics and was a sports fan no matter what the season was. He credited his father for passing the love of sports on to him. St. Peter admitted that he was by no means a star athlete as a youngster. He played American Legion Baseball but was cut his junior year, motivating him to work harder. He said he knew he wanted to work in professional sports and saw his path to doing so through the business world. So when he got to the University of North Dakota he decided to get a student job in the UND Sports Information Department and worked there for three years, covering various sports extensively. Additionally, he wrote for the UND student newspaper and was an aide for the Grand Forks Herald. After doing all of these things, St. Peter knew he wanted a career in professional sports. However, being from Bismarck, ND, he did not have any local professional teams he could cover. So, in 1989 after college, he moved to the Twin Cities and lived with his sister in hopes of finding a job with one of the local sports teams. One thing St. Peter had going well for him before applying for internships was that he had a great “portfolio”. At his speech, he told us that if any of us want to work in pro sports, we should build a portfolio. By portfolio, he meant a bunch of examples of your work that you could show to potential employers that showcase your skills and why you should be the one getting the internship. This could include projects, writing, even contributing on sites such as Twins Daily. It is important to put yourself out there, be confident, create a portfolio, and publish your work. St. Peter applied for an internship with the Twins. Denied. He applied for an internship with the Vikings. Denied. He even applied for an internship with the new expansion NBA team in town, the Timberwolves. Denied. Finally, he was accepted on an internship to work for the Minnesota North Stars. After six months with the North Stars, he got an internship with the Twins. Be flexible in what type of job you take In 2015, St. Peter said “When I started working in sports, if I had to pick one, I probably would have picked baseball. But I wasn’t at a point where I could be picky, I had to be broad. I was open to basketball, football, baseball, even the minor leagues, and certainly hockey.” There are a lot of people throughout the country who want to work in sports. With a high demand for jobs in sports, it’s highly unlikely you’ll get to choose what job you want. St. Peter knew that hockey wasn’t his favorite sport, but he knew if that was his only opportunity to work in sports, so be it. Additionally, people in sports have connections. It is likely that employees with the Twins know employees with the Vikings, employees with the Vikings know employees with the Timberwolves, etc. Below is a photo of St. Peter, Vikings GM Rick Spielman, Timberwolves President Chris Wright, Minnesota United President Nick Rogers, and Wild Chief Operating Officer Matt Majka at a community event in 2017. Even if you are offered a job that is not your first option, have a positive attitude and show your skills in that job because you never know what connections you may make. St. Peter’s first job with the Twins was managing a team pro shop. He said he wasn’t all that thrilled about working in retail but he knew he wanted to work in baseball so he kept a positive attitude and learned many valuable skills in this position including how to hire people, fire people, and deal with customers. Be Patient Things won’t always go your way in the sports industry. That’s fine. St. Peter was turned down numerous times before he ultimately got a job in sports and worked his way up to Twins President of Baseball Operations. Recent World Series winning manager Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves has been a coach in the Braves system since 1982 and wasn’t named manager of the major league squad until 2016. Patience pays off. Conclusion Dave St. Peter being generous enough to come up to a college in the middle of November and speak to a bunch of college students shows why he has been so successful in his job. He understands the importance of giving back to the community that has supported his team so greatly over the years. He got to the top of the Twins organization not only because of his extensive baseball knowledge, but because he treats people right. If you want to work in sports, put your name out there, create a portfolio to showcase your work, be flexible, be patient, and treat people the right way. Thank you for reading, and Go Twins! View full article

It was just a matter of when, not if. On Friday afternoon, Twins President Dave St. Peter announced that Justin Morneau is now a member of the Twins Hall of Fame.Make your plans now. On Saturday, May 23rd, the Twins will be hosting the White Sox at Target Field. On that day, Justin Morneau will be inducted as the 34th member of the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony. It was just a matter of time, really, as Morneau had an impressive career with the Twins. In 1999, the Twins made the New Westminster, Vancouver, native their third-round draft pick. At the time, he was a catcher, but he quickly moved to first base after an arm injury. He made his much-anticipated major-league debut for the Twins in 2003. If you can recall, he received a standing ovation before that plate appearance. In 1,278 games, Morneau hit .278 with 289 doubles, 221 home runs and 860 RBI. His 221 home runs currently rank third on the Twins all-time list. In 2006, he was the American League Most Valuable Player. In 157 games that season ,he hit .321/.375/.559 (.934) with 37 doubles, 34 homers and 130 RBI. He was an All-Star in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. 2010 was shaping up to be his best season yet. Through 81 games, he was hitting a robust .345/.437/.618 (1.055) with 25 doubles and 18 home runs when he slid into second base and took a John MacDonald knee to the head and suffered a concussion that altered the trajectory of the Twins season and his career. He remained with the Twins through August 31, 2013, when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates to end the season. He spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Rockies. He owns the 2014 National League batting title when he hit .319 in 2014. He played in 58 games for the White Sox in 2016 before retiring. He joined the Twins as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations the last two seasons. He has now spent time the last couple of seasons in the broadcast booth with Dick Bremer and will do about 60 games in 2020. On Friday, May 22, the first 5,000 fans in attendance at Target Field will receive a Justin Morneau Hall of Fame pin. The first 10,000 fans to enter on Sunday, May 24, will receive a Morneau Hall of Fame bobblehead. There is a 71-member committee that votes on the Twins Hall of Fame. It includes local and national media, club officials, fan vote and past elected members. Morneau joins the following in the Twins Hall of Fame: 2000: Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Calvin Griffith 2001: Jim Kaat, Herb Carneal 2002: Bert Blyleven, Tom Kelly 2003: Bob Casey, Bob Allison 2004: Earl Battey 2005: Frank Viola 2006: Carl Pohlad, Zoilo Versalles 2007: Jim Rantz 2008: Rick Aguilera 2009: Brad Radke, George Brophy 2010: Greg Gagne 2011: Jim Perry 2012: Camilo Pascual 2013: Eddie Guardado, Tom Mee 2014: Chuck Knoblauch (elected, but not inducted) 2015: none 2016: Torii Hunter, John Gordon 2017: Michael Cuddyer, Andy MacPhail 2018: Johan Santana 2019: Joe Nathan, Jerry Bell 2020: Justin Morneau Click here to view the article

On Friday afternoon at Target Field, Twins president Dave St. Peter announced that there will be two new members to the Twins Hall of Fame in 2018. In the players ballot, former Twins closer (and Twins Daily Winter Meltdown guest) Joe Nathan was announced. In a non-players ballot, former Twins president Jerry Bell. They will be the 32nd and 33rd Twins Hall of Famers.The Twins will have pre-game ceremonies on the field before games on August 3rd and 4th, games against the Royals. "The Pohlad family and entire Minnesota Twins organization would like to offer congratulations to Joe Nathan and Jerry Bell on their well-deserved election to the Twins Hall of Fame." Joe Nathan became the Twins all-time leader in Saves with 260. He pitched for the Twins in 2004 through 2011, seven of his 16 MLB seasons. Over his time with the Twins, he went 24-13 with a 2.16 ERA in 463 1/3 innings. He struck out 561 in that time. Nathan came to the Twins in one of the most famous Twins trades. In 2004, Terry Ryan traded catcher AJ Pierzynski in exchange for Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. Jerry Bell became the third president in Twins history in January of 1987. He kept that role for 16 seasons. He was key in work done to ensure Twins baseball remained in Minnesota long-term. He oversaw the development, design, construction and opening of Target Field. He also was very involved in the development of the Twins spring training facilities in Ft. Myers. The first 10,000 fans at Target Field on Saturday, August 3, will receive a Joe Nathan Hall of Fame bobblehead. On August 4th, the first 5,000 fans will receive Jerry Bell and Joe Nathan Hall of Fame pins. Notes St. Peter also announced that through the Diamond Awards, nearly $4 million has been raised to help the Bob Allison Ataxia foundation and the research of the University of Minnesota.This is the sixth year that Twins Fest has been at Target Field. Over 60 current, former and future Twins will be in attendance. There are still some tickets available. Proceeds from the event go to the Twins Community Fund.St. Peter noted that they hope that there will be approximately two million fans at Target Field in 2019, about the same as 2018. He said that about 80 to 90 percent of season ticket holders have renewed, a number that will be around 12,000.He pointed out that the Gophers will be playing Oklahoma at Target Field on April 20th.He again mentioned the NDSU football season opener will be at Target Field against Butler. Over 29,000 tickets have already been sold.He also said that there will be at least one concert at Target Field this summer. That information will be coming in the near future. Click here to view the article

Watching a team slump its way through a summer and flirt with 100 losses is like watching a quicksand scene. It's a slow, gruelling situation to watch and every move that's made seems to make the character sink deeper and deeper. Quicksand became a cliche in action/adventure movies of the 50s and 60s, and it's easy to see why. Quicksand adds a lot of potential for suspense and drama, making the viewer feel helpless. You wish there was a way you could jump through the screen and offer a helping hand to the doomed hero or damsel in distress.But unlike in the movies, watching a baseball team seemingly trapped in quicksand doesn't last a few scenes. It can often stretch over several years. Of course, there is a chance the Twins avoid 100 losses. As of Thursday evening the team has 92 losses with 15 games remaining. And 100 is sort of an arbitrary number, but there is certainly a stigma against reaching triple-digit losses. It's a rare feat to accomplish, if you can call it that, and really sticks out in the standings. It doesn't happen every season, and the Twins have only hit the century mark in losses once, losing 102 in 1982. Here's a rundown of every 100-loss team since the strike: 15: None 14: None 13: Astros 111, Marlins 100 12: Astros 107, Cubs 101 11: Astros 106 10: Pirates 105, Mariners 101 09: Nationals 103 08: Nationals 102, Mariners 101 07: None 06: Rays 101, Royals 100 05: Royals 106 04: Diamondbacks 111, Royals 104 03: Tigers 119 02: Tigers 106, Rays 106, Brewers 106, Royals 100 01: Pirates 100, Rays 100 00: None 99: None 98: Marlins 108 97: None 96: Tigers 109 95: None (144-game season) That's 24 times it's happened, but only to 11 different franchises. So once you've lost 100, you're at high risk of doing it again. In fact, on seven different occasions in that span a team has followed a 100-loss season with another one. The Astros and Royals even managed to lose 100 in three-straight years. In the movies, there's usually a quick fix that gets someone out of quicksand. Eventually somebody shows up with a branch, lasso or whip. Unfortunately, that's not how it works in baseball. Here's the average record of those 100-loss teams year-by-year after reaching the milestone: First season: 67-95 Two years later: 72-90 Three years later: 77-85 Four years later: 80-82 Just two of those 24 100-loss teams managed to bounce back and have a winning record the next season. The 2003 Royals won 83 games and the 2009 Mariners won 85, but both teams finished third in their divisions. Of course, there are success stories. Four of those 11 franchises have World Series appearances at some point since losing 100. And there's a good chance either the Nationals or Cubs will join that group this year. The quickest turnaround to the World Series belongs to the Rays, who lost 101 in 2006 and were in the Fall Classic just two seasons later. And it only took the Tigers three seasons to go from 119 losses in 2003 to American League champs in '06. Staying on the positive side, here's a list of some standout draft picks those 100-loss teams selected the following June: Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Gerrit Cole, Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Alex Gordon, Justin Upton, Justin Verlander and Josh Beckett. The Twins boast a couple of the most remarkable turnarounds in baseball history, but falling all the way to 100 losses is like being neck deep in quicksand. Hopefully the new President of Baseball Operations brings a lasso. Click here to view the article

According to a tweet by Ken Rosenthal, the Minnesota Twins are looking to hire a president of baseball operations type. That person would then be in charge of hiring a new general manager and other front office types. This has become the trend in the last decade or so throughout baseball, and it would seem to be a good direction for the Twins to go as well.Here is the tweet from Rosenthal: This is a direction that Nick presented back in May, even before the announcement that GM Terry Ryan had been fired. He wrote that he believes current Twins president Dave St. Peter does his job well as it is currently laid out, but adds that the duties associated with that title are changing across the majors. Nick wrote: St. Peter would likely remain in his current role of running the Twins business, but this new president of baseball operations would be more involved in roster construction and such. Few names have been mentioned as potential candidates over the last month or so. Ben Cherington appears to be a favorite. Darren Wolfson has reported that he is very much interested. The Twins hired a search firm, Korn Ferry, to conduct their search and make recommendations. A new president of baseball operations would likely come in and evaluate current Twins front office personnel, including interim GM Rob Antony, along with outside options to determine the new general manager and other front office posts. Presumably, the Twins will want to hire a president of baseball operations by the end of the season so that person could get his or her staff in place. They would certainly want to have new staff in place by organizational meetings (which could be pushed back). Click here to view the article

The hammer came down on Monday when the team announced that Terry Ryan had been “relieved of his duties.” The press release then stated that Rob Antony, assistant GM, would inherit the General Manager title on an interim basis. Since then, we’ve spent two days speculating about how all the dust would eventually settle.Given that the Twins have had only three GMs over their last thirty or so years, the same number of managers over that period and numerous other front office staff and scouts who have served in the organization for dozens of years, the firing of Terry Ryan made national waves. It’s uncommon to turn on MLB Network or MLB Network Radio and hear the Twins getting more than just passing attention, but it was different Monday and Tuesday. Speculation about who could be considered as Terry Ryan’s replacement was a main talking point. The thing is… it doesn’t seem to add up. Earlier this season, Jim Pohlad talked about a “total system failure” but also gave both Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor a 100% vote of confidence. Two months later, one of them has been shown the door. Not that it’s extremely rare in sports to have a coach/manager/GM get a vote of confidence followed quickly by a pink slip. But we’re talking about the Twins and all of these waters are unchartered. Since Ryan’s dismissal, Molitor has been given another vote of confidence and the national radio shows continue to focus on the “next GM.” But what if there’s more to it? Since Monday it’s come out that Terry Ryan was told a month ago that he would not be returning as the team’s GM in 2017. He was given some time to consider his own exit and decided late last week that he should “get out of the way” before ultimately being fired. What if he’s not the only one? If Terry Ryan had the option to stay for the remainder of the season, who’s to say that other front office members weren’t given the same choice, but chose to stay? What if, specifically, Dave St. Peter, the team president, was told the same thing? It seems ridiculous, given that every indication is that he’ll be involved in the hiring process. This is an organization that - when you really look at it - only reassigns people. Bill Smith? You’re fired… but we’ll put you in a different position. Ron Gardenhire? You’re fired… but let us know when you want to work again. Terry Ryan? Who knows. So what could happen next? It’s all purely speculative, but what if Dave St. Peter is reassigned too? There’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t do well with a title of President of Business Operations. (edit: not Baseball Operations.) There are already a number of people under that umbrella that he’s currently in charge of. St. Peter claims to have very little to do with the on-field product. So why tie up a “baseball position” with a non-baseball mind? That would leave two voids at the very top of the baseball side of things - President of Baseball Operations and General Manager. Looking at only the AL Central, the White Sox (Kenny Williams, Executive VP and Rick Hahn, Sr. VP/GM) and Indians (Chris Antonetti, President, Baseball Ops and Mike Chernoff, GM) have two baseball minds in both of those position. The Tigers have Al Avila in both the president role and the GM chair, but have a separate position for business operations. Same for the Royals and Dayton Moore. Obviously a lot of that only has to do with “titles” and it’s likely that across baseball 30 teams have 30 different titles for the same job getting done. Is this something the Twins would do? A week ago I’d have said, “No way!” But times are changing now. Is Ben Cherington looking to get back into baseball? Would Alex Anthopoulos be interested in climbing back into a GM chair? Will Kim Ng get a fair shot? She’s more than deserving of running a baseball club, offering more background in analytics than the team has ever had, but not the scouting background. Could the Twins lure De Jon Watson from Arizona to serve as their President of Baseball Operations? The duo worked together for the Dodgers and Ng and Watson currently work under Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, respectively. Who better to have as mentors? It goes without saying that these would be only a two ways to make a splash. And the character of the Twins as a baseball franchise is the antonym of “splashy.” But - right or wrong - the Twins were willing to make a franchise-altering change and that’s a big step in a different - and hopefully right - direction. Click here to view the article

Like most, I was sitting at my desk at work on Monday morning. At about 11:20, I checked my e-mail and there it was, “Minnesota Twins Announce General Manager Terry Ryan Has Been Relieved of His Duties.” Like most, my attention was on that topic for much of the rest of the day. My mind was racing, so many thoughts, ideas and questions running through my mind. In the afternoon, CEO Jim Pohlad and President Dave St. Peter spoke to the media at Target Field. After reading and hearing their comments, there wasn’t any more clarity. There were, however, more questions.Before we get to the questions, I’m going to take a moment to share some thoughts on Terry Ryan. As you’ve noticed, most people who know Ryan or have worked in any capacity start discussions today with what a terrific person that he is. Then they go on to, typically, state that despite that, the Twins needed to make a change. It’s hard to argue with any of that. Terry Ryan has always treated me with the utmost respect and been upfront and as honest as he can be. He has been very helpful to me and accepting of Twins Daily. I have always enjoyed each opportunity and I have had to converse with Ryan and feel like I learn something each time whether or not we’re even talking about baseball. For me, Terry Ryan was always someone I admired. I look at what he did in the late 90s to set up the success the Twins had for most of the decade of 2000. Signing veterans and then trading them to acquire more young talent. Building a farm system and building a winner on a budget. As a blogger who started in 2003, I enjoyed seeing the transactions and trying to figure out what Ryan was doing. I recall seemingly any time I wrote something about the Twins being out of it, they would find a way to get themselves back into contention. Unfortunately, since his return, the Twins have had many low moments, and there have been fewer positive turn-arounds. When Ryan reclaimed the GM position, I sent him a quick note. He responded relatively quickly and noted “we won’t take any shortcuts.” He set out to help re-establish and repopulate the Twins minor league system. And you know what… he did just that. The last few years, the Twins have been one of the top three minor league organizations by most who rank those types of things. In the last couple of seasons, we have begun to see some of the talented players who have helped the Twins to those rankings. And the farm system is still stacked with terrific talent. Think about it for a moment. Ryan made the focus of the organization development of the minor league system. Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, and Jorge Polanco all have a lot of room to grow as players. Jose Berrios will take off at some point, and within the next two or three years the likes of Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves, Tyler Jay, Felix Jorge, Fernando Romero and some others have a chance to round out a solid rotation. Taylor Rogers, Trevor May, Michael Tonkin and Ryan Pressly are developing this year and will lead the way as JT Chargois, Nick Burdi, Mason Melotakis and Trevor Hildenberger are on their way. In some ways, I think that whoever takes over as the next Twins general manager is going to look pretty smart when so many of these young, talented players reach their potential. Will Terry Ryan get credit when this team takes off thanks to the core of young players that developed under his watch? That’s one question I have, and here are some more questions I have after today. What’s up with the timing of this decision? My first organizational thought after my initial surprise at the Twins move was, why did they make this decision less than two weeks from this year’s August 1st trade deadline? That certainly puts Rob Antony, who was named the interim GM, in a tough position. Then again, he will be supported by the Twins current front office, scouts and player personnel staff. Will Rob Antony get a legitimate shot to have the interim-label removed? All indications from Monday’s discussions seem to indicate that the Twins will look to hire someone from outside the organization. However, the track record of the organization would certainly indicate that he will be given an opportunity. How he handled the trade deadline and, frankly, how the team performs may be his interview for the job. Maybe that is why Terry Ryan resigned when he did, to give Antony an opportunity to show what he can do, his style, etc. Should Rob Antony get a legitimate shot at the full-time GM job? Among Twins fans, the general sentiment seems to be that they have to go outside the organization to change the culture. When Antony’s name comes up, fans like to bring up the spring training when Antony took over the reigns when Ryan was working through his cancer treatments and recovery. They like to bring up the decision to keep Jason Kubel and Jason Bartlett on the Opening Day roster. First, that’s a very small sample size. All other reports indicate that Antony has done a nice job as Ryan’s assistant GM. He is well respected among players and scouts for his negotiations in arbitration and free agencies. He’s being given a lot of credit, by Eduardo Nunez, for bringing him to the Twins. And yes, he has been involved in the current ‘regime,’ but that doesn’t mean that things would be exactly the same under Antony’s leadership. Maybe they would be, but my assumption is that Antony would be willing to do some things differently. In general, I just don’t like the idea that it has to be someone from outside the organization. Should the Twins go outside the organization for their GM hire? To appease the fan base, it is probably a good idea to hire someone from outside. While the Twins have implemented many more systems throughout the minor leagues and added more statistical analysis, it is never a bad idea to look elsewhere for new and fresh ideas. If nothing else, the Twins ownership group needs to take time to consider what is happening in other organizations and reassess their own expectations for a GM or other roles in the organization. So, who will make the hire? Who will sit in on the interviews? From various interviews, it does appear that the Twins could use a search firm to develop a list or candidates or even make a recommendation. However, it will be Jim Pohlad and Dave St. Peter who will have the final say. St. Peter even said that he would likely talk about candidates with Tom Kelly. I’m not a huge fan of search firms, but I don’t know that Pohlad and St. Peter are necessarily the right people to make the decision on the next General Manager. I have my doubts. More important, what are these two looking for in a GM? In May, I wrote up many of the roles, responsibilities and requirements for a GM. I would hope that the owner and president would provide a search firm a very, very detailed list of exactly what they are looking for in the next GM. Will Rob Antony be given full rein to do as he sees best for the Twins organization during this trade deadline? We are being told that he will not be limited. We are told that they have complete confidence in Antony to do what is best for the organization. This is such a big trade deadline with some very difficult decisions to make. Which players will or should be traded? How will he do in terms of negotiating prospect returns? The tough part of this is that those trades really can’t be graded for several years. The unfortunate thing for Antony is that he will be trading veterans and getting back non-big name prospects. Most fans will respond to any Twins trade returns with “Who is that?” Some will say, “That’s all Antony was able to get for (insert Nunez, Kintzler, Abad, Escobar, Santana, Nolasco here)?” He could trade Brian Dozier for a bigger return and make a bigger splash, but then critics will question that decision as well. It’s a tough situation for Antony to be thrust into, but again it’s probably the only option to give him some experience to add to his resume. Should the Twins wait until after the season to decide? Well, Pohlad has said that they are going to start their search right away and would like to name their new GM even before the season ends. Is this wise? There are only 30 MLB General Manager jobs available. Each year, maybe one, possibly two GM jobs are available (if that many), so these jobs don’t come around real often. By starting this process and making a decision early, they will get a headstart on other GM jobs that may open up in the offseason (if any). The downside is that there may be playoff-contending teams that won’t let their employees apply or interview for this job until after their seasons. In other words, it’s possible that a couple of potential candidates may not be available for this reason. Is the Twins General Manager a desirable position that candidates should seek? It absolutely should be a job that people would want. As I wrote earlier, the talent accumulated by Ryan and Company will make the next GM look really smart over the next couple of years. There is a lot of talent. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, there are only 30 Major League GM jobs available. These jobs don’t come along, so there should be plenty of strong options for Pohlad and St. Peter to consider. Finally, if the team has any form of success with the GM, the organization is very loyal. It’s a job that could come with a lot of leeway. How does this affect the rest of the Twins front office? For the short-term, it doesn’t. Rob Antony takes over as interim GM. They continue in their roles, supporting Antony. But if someone else is chosen as the General Manager, you would think that he (or she) would come with some of his own personnel. I personally hope that the new GM would be open to keeping at least some of the current staff. Would a new GM expand upon Jack Goin’s current analytical group, or would he bring in his own people? How will Mike Radcliff, the Twins director of player personnel and long-time employee who, like Ryan, has given up several opportunities to be with other organizations, fit into the organization? Does Deron Johnson remain the team’s scouting director? Does Brad Steil remain the Twins minor league director? I don’t think we know. Pohlad has said that Paul Molitor will be the Twins manager in 2017 regardless of who the GM is. Why would he do that? How does it affect the on-field coaching staff? I have no idea why Pohlad would say that a GM can't make decide on his own manager 2017, year one of his or her tenure. Look at any sport and a new GM will almost always want to insert his own choice for manager or coach. Often, he will allow the current coach to stick around, but he is basically a lame duck and it doesn’t take long for a new coaching staff to be brought in. For the remainder of 2016, the coaching staff is most likely safe. The manager appears safe for at least the start of 2017, but beyond that I can’t imagine the coaching staff has a lot of job security. Will the Twins bring back Terry Ryan in some capacity sometime in the future? It is certainly possible that Ryan will come back to the Twins in some capacity, similar to Ron Gardenhire or Bill Smith? Obviously there is no way to know that answer right now. Pohlad and St. Peter indicate that they believe Ryan will seek a job elsewhere at this time. And he should. He is likely to have several offers to be a scout down the stretch for a winning team, or maybe a scouting director for a team as we go forward. I get that there is a strong percentage of fandom that hates that they would bring back the likes of Smith or Gardenhire. I’m certainly on the complete opposite end of that spectrum. Bill Smith was a very good employee for the Twins for 20-25 years before his stint as the GM. He had a lot of strong qualities. Why would an organization not take advantage of those qualities. Since his return, he has been used in roles away from the baseball operations group. He has been very instrumental in the renovations at Hammond Stadium, the player academy in Ft. Myers, and will be key in the development of the new academy in the Dominican Republic. Gardenhire had a lot of success as a coach and a manager in the organization. He has a lot of knowledge to share, or can be an ear for minor league managers to talk to. After taking some time off, his return has been appreciated throughout the system. I don’t know why an organization wouldn’t want smart baseball people involved in the organization if they are still interested. And, for me, I would want to work in a culture where people like that are welcomed back. To me, it says a lot (positively) about the Twins culture brought about through the leadership of Terry Ryan. If Ryan would ever be willing to come back in an advisory role in the scouting department, I’d certainly be willing to bring him back. I don’t know that he would want that though. That is a bunch of questions after the dismissal of Terry Ryan. And you may have more in mind. Please feel free to ask more questions or answer some of these in the Comments below. Click here to view the article

Last season, I'm sure you remember the Twins' ill-fated attempt to charge a select group of fans to watch the Twins take batting practice at home games. To be fair, fans currently don't get to watch the Twins take BP at Target Field, and several teams have a similar program in place, so this idea was not at all unfounded. But the reaction was crazy. People railed against the team such that, only a few hours after the team released the announcement, it was retracted. I didn't blog about this at the time, because it was covered everywhere. But to me, this was an example of really poor timing -- not a poor idea.The team was bad and fielding rather pathetic lineups. The idea that fans would pay extra to watch players like Wilkin Ramirez or Pedro Florimon take BP -- players that would be in AAA on a good team -- suggested to me that the organization was out of touch with a large portion of its fan base. Yesterday, as I'm sure you've heard by now, the Twins released a "brand" survey to some fans, which included the question "[c]urrently, which one brand is the most similar to the Twins brand?" The answer choices were all automobiles: Taurus; Volvo; Mustang; Ford pick-up; Cadillac Escape; BMW; Mercedes; Mini Van; Dodge Viper; Prius Hybrid. Accompanying the car names were descriptors such as "fast and sporty," "quality and luxury," and "efficient and forward-thinking." Of course, none of these automobiles, and none of these descriptors, match the Twins. Maybe mini van comes the closest, but perhaps a more accurate descriptor for the current Twins brand -- "cruising" toward its 4th consecutive 90-loss season -- would be "my '97 Honda Civic after the CD player was stolen and there was a big hole so you could see almost into the engine." Not surprisingly, this question became a laughingstock. How bad did it get? Keith Olbermann named the Twins' marketing department as his nightly "World's Worst." On national television. Fast-forward nearly 24 hours, and the Twins have yet to say anything publicly about this. Nothing on Twitter from the team, President Dave St. Peter or Mike Kennedy (Twins PR). Do they need to apologize? Of course not. It was a stupid little marketing brand question that went viral, and that seems to happen frequently these days as businesses realize the importance of social/digital marketing and venture into previously uncharted territory. But it did suggest that, perhaps, the organization hasn't learned much in the past year. If the front office really thinks that the Twins are anything like a BMW, or are "urban and street-wise" (how can that even translate into athletics???), or any of those other vehicles or descriptors, the front office is still very much out of touch with what is apparent to everyone else. Social media and digital marketing failures happen all the time. And people get past them. But this is still an embarrassment for the Twins who, in my opinion, are usually pretty good with their ads and marketing stuff. To do nothing for 24 hours, especially after you've been taken down on national television, is just stupid. So what do I suggest? Think like a minor league team would. Do something outside the box. Just. Do. Something. I'm not just going to sit here and make fun of the team without suggesting alternatives. So here are two awful ideas. 1) Really own this failure and give away a mini van at the last home game of the season. Or donate one to one of the many deserving MN nonprofits. It can be from Mauer Chevrolet. 2) Have a Keith Olbermann day at the ballpark. Invite him to throw out the first pitch. Or ban him from the ballpark for life. Whatever. Free or discounted tickets to people with the legal name "Keith" or "Olbermann." If your birth name is "Keith Olbermann," you get Champions Club seats. Now, I'm an attorney, and I rarely get involved on the creative side at my job. You can see why. But at least these ideas are something. It's better than silence. At the very least, Dave St. Peter should get on Twitter (where he is very accessible and patient with fans), and say something funny to Olbermann. Maybe take him down a peg?? Again -- something. Like the batting practice thing, this will go away in a few days. But the team: a) demonstrated once again that it's out of touch with reality, and missed an opportunity to turn an embarrassing negative into something positive, or at least a little funny. Click here to view the article