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The Minnesota Twins are starting to reassemble their coaching staff after blowing up the group after the 2014 season. At least one position was filled when the decision was made to retain hitting coach Tom Brunansky. Brunansky absorbs all of the data and analytics but has the ability to translate that into a practice his hitters can understand and take into a game. Now, hiring a pitching coach that would operate in the same guise as Brunansky would be ideal.Pitching has been a significant issue for the organization as the team floundered its way to four consecutive 90-loss seasons. Although replacement-level personnel has played a significant factor in the pitching results, the Twins have failed to adapt to the changes in the game around them. And part of that may be sourced back to former pitching coach Rick Anderson. In 2008, Anderson provided a scouting report of his young pitching staff that emphasized keeping the ball down in the zone. Specifically, for Kevin Slowey and Scott Baker, Anderson said keeping the fastball down was critical for success. In 2010, Anderson reiterated this belief. But Anderson was not alone in his assessment. On almost every broadcast, FSN and former pitcher Bert Blyleven would echo this as well. However, at least in Baker’s case, the inverse was actually true. From 2009 on, opponents hit .227 and struck out on 24% of their plate appearances while facing fastballs up in the zone against Baker. On the other hand, they batted .288 with strikeouts on 11% of their plate appearances on fastballs down. His success was found just below the letters. For Anderson and Blyleven, the mantra of shooting the knees and maintaining a downward plane may have been true during their era of pitching but the game has evolved beyond the notion that you have to live down in the zone with your fastball to survive. In fact, it is more detrimental if you do. While the rest of baseball was fawning over ground ball pitchers, the Oakland A’s ran the other direction and loaded their lineups with hitters who exhibit fly ball tendencies and uppercut swings -- a practice that would combat the downward action of sinkers and two-seam fastballs which live down in the zone. With that method, it is probably no surprise to learn that the A’s led baseball in hardest hit fastballs down in the zone (.212 hard-hit average) and put 26% in play as fly balls (well above the league average of 21%). Meanwhile, this uppercutting offense struggled to generate power on fastballs up in the zone, slugging just .293 -- the lowest in the American League. And it is not just Oakland that is having more success versus fastballs down in the zone compared to those left up. This past year the league batted .216/.331/.344 on fastballs above the waist while they managed a superior .283/.387/.409 on fastballs from mid-thigh and below. There are various reasons for this outcome. The first being a tenet of a Perry Husband’s theory of Effective Velocity. The reason why hitters often say a pitcher’s high fastball seemed to have more giddyup is because, as Husband’s research suggests, a hitter’s bat needs to travel further to make contact -- particularly up-and-in and middle-up above the strike zone. By locating a fastball properly, a pitcher’s heater can gain 1-to-5 miles an hour of Effective Velocity. While the majority of the baseball world was teaching downward plane, the UCLA Bruins found success in the NCAA by going up in the zone. Most notably, with current Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer and then with Adam Plutko later in 2013. The Bruins pitchers aimed for what they call the “one spot” -- an elevated letter-high fastball out over the plate -- visiting that location in two-strike counts. "It’s why [former Mets starter] Sid Fernandez had success,” current Astros pitching coach Brett Strom told Husband. “Everybody wants a 6'5 guy, but hitters have been conditioned for ages for a ball to be in a certain spot, from a downward plane. Fernandez sat really deep on his back leg and had a low release point. Hitters couldn’t adjust." The second reason is the increase in the number of pitchers trained to work downhill. As a response, more hitters are conditioned to look for pitches down in the zone. For instance, Husband studied Mike Trout’s data closely and found that the superstar did not chase after fastballs up in the zone. It would appear that Trout, who can typically hit everything, at anytime and pitched anywhere, knew his limitations. Mariners pitcher Chris Young, a soft-tossing right-hander, told Fangraphs.com’s Enos Sarris the reason he works up in the zone more frequently despite the low velocity is because hitters have adapted to low fastballs. “You can look across the board and see that pitching up can be just as effective as pitching down, maybe moreso,” he said. “Hitting is cyclical. I’ve given up plenty of home runs on low balls. Hitters are very good low ball hitters now, too.” Like Young, Oakland’s closer Sean Doolittle adjusted his approach after video scouting revealed that opponents were jumping all over his fastball down in the zone. He ditched that for fastballs above the belt. "As long as most guys have been teaching pitching, you want to live at the knees and then maybe expand up with two strikes," Doolittle said. "But I've had more success throwing pitches up in the zone." The benefits of pitching down in the zone include a higher percentage of ground balls, but using a fastball up in the zone leads to more fly balls and infield pop-ups that are converted into outs more often than grounders. Are more home runs allowed on pitches up in the zone? Slightly. In 2014, 2.5% of all at-bats on fastballs up in the zone resulted in a home run compared to 2.0% of at-bats that resulted in a home run on pitches down in the zone. That said, hitters swing and miss on 11% of fastballs up in the zone while they do so on just 4% of fastballs down. Lower batting average, higher out-percentage and a better opportunity to miss bats certainly makes this an intriguing idea. Not every pitcher is designed to be a high-ball pitcher, to be sure. Pitchers like Kyle Gibson, who has a power sinker, is not likely to suddenly become a pitcher who targets the top of the strike zone. That said, pitching up in the zone shouldn’t be treated like a problem either, particularly while developing pitchers in the minor leagues. Heading into the 2014 season, Twins farm director Brad Steil made this statement regarding Trevor May: “For him to get better, it's going to be pitching down in the zone with his fastball. When he gets in trouble, he leaves the ball up above the belt. He's just got to make sure he's staying on top of the ball and pitching down in the zone. If he does that, he'll see results." Contrary to what Steil said, when May reached the major leagues he saw better results on his fastball when it was above the belt. Opponents hit .182 with 11/6 strikeouts/walks against his high fastball compared to a .313 average with a 7/9 strikeouts/walks when pitching the fastball down in the zone. Both are small sample sizes yet there may be something there. After all, Baker and Phil Hughes have had success while almost exclusively using high fastballs. If he is able to command it May might be better off using the upper reaches of the zone. To be clear, effective pitching is not just throwing fastballs up in the zone. It is proper sequencing, changing speed and locating pitches. Still, the game has shifted away from the idea that you have to throw fastballs down in the zone. The Twins have been criticized for not thinking differently and maintaining practices that have proven ineffective as the rest of the game has evolved around them. The new hire has the opportunity to make these philosophical and practical changes that can improve the team. Click here to view the article

There is no reason the 2015 Minnesota Twins can’t be competitive. They have money to spend, prospects to watch, and changes to be made to the coaching staff that will reap rewards. Terry Ryan should be making drastic moves just to keep his job. Anywhere else and he would have been canned by now, but I believe in Terry Ryan’s ability to do the job. He can prove it by canning Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson. Gardy’s gotta go. He’s not the type of manager that can lead these young, mostly Spanish-speaking men to the promised land. He’s only been to the promised land once in his career, and that was his first year managing a team built by Tom Kelly. He’s got one playoff win in 11 years, two in 12 years, and a whole six in 13 years. If I were Terry Ryan, I’d take a chance on Ozzie Guillen – a man who can at the very least give us entertaining post game interviews. He’s also known to defend his players and light fires under asses. Oh, and he’s got a World Series ring – during Gardy’s tenure! Then there’s Rick Anderson, who somehow couldn’t make Francisco Liriano and Vance Worley work. They certainly aren’t having any trouble in Pittsburgh with Ray Searage. Maybe Terry Ryan should offer him the job. Frankly, I don’t care who he hires as long as it’s not Anderson. Sure, he can say he turned Phil Hughes around, and Hughes even credits him, but one guy in 10 years? It’s not like Johan Santana needed a lot of coaching, and it’s not like the young Twins’ starters have been breaking through in the majors. Trevor May has struggled mightily, and very few of the young bullpen arms have impressed. Terry Ryan can’t fix the problems with the Twins by hiring a new manager and pitching coach, though. It starts and ends with the product on the field, which is horrendous. He can start fixing things by spending as much money on starting pitching as he does on his nine starters. Ervin Santana should be a nice fit. Ryan offered him a three-year deal worth roughly $30-33 million before this season, but Santana elected to set himself up for a better payday, taking a one-year deal with the Braves. It worked, and now he can expect a three-year deal worth $45 million or more. http://i2.wp.com/gogonzojournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2014-09-26-at-2.02.05-AM.png?zoom=2&w=900 I think he’s a good fit between Hughes and Nolasco, and so does Carl Buscheck of Bleacher Report. It should take some pressure off Nolasco to be the man and just allow him to pitch. He’s also another “veteran” presence at the top of the rotation, although Hughes (28), Nolasco (31), and Santana (31) may be the youngest group of veteran pitchers in the league. Good thing Mike Pelfrey will be around in the bullpen. Pelfrey’s 2015 contract could end up OK, as Nick Nelson smartly writes here. Even if we can get 80 innings out of him, something’s better than nothing, and Pelfrey will be a leader in the clubhouse. I guess that’s why they keep paying him because he’s certainly not leading by example. Besides non-tendering Anthony Swarzak and Eduardo Nunez, there aren’t too many surprises. Miguel Sano better be in the mix. If he’s not, I’d suspect an early call-up in July. Millone could replace Swarzak in the bullpen, but frankly, I think they’re both non-tender candidates. Millone was a gift, but seems to be damaged goods. Billy Beane knew something Terry Ryan didn’t. It’s not as though Millone has been dominant or anything, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is down a full point from last year. Hicks and Schafer both make the roster because who knows if Hicks will stick. Santana may move to short, or he may not, but it'll all shake out in Spring Training. This is not a lineup for next season – just a 25-man roster. Anyway, that’s a grand total of around $92-93 million, barring any extensions, and I think Terry Ryan and the Twins are backing off a potential extension for Brian Dozier after signing Kurt Suzuki for two years. Barring any injuries, the team above will be better than the 2014 Minnesota Twins. Santana is a massive upgrade to Kevin Correia, Pelfrey could be serviceable from the pen, which now has plenty of long relief to accommodate the inconsistent youngsters. Eventually, we’d like to see Alex Meyer in a starting role, but his day will come soon enough. Something is bound to happen to Nolasco or Hughes given the Twins’ luck the past few years. If Miguel Sano recovers, Kennys Vargas keeps smashing, Oswaldo Arcia keeps improving, Hughes repeats his 2014 performance, Nolasco figures himself out, Mauer stays healthy, Santana sticks at short and Hicks hits enough to stick anywhere in the outfield, Gibson improves his consistency, Suzuki stays fresh, Pinto gets reps at catcher, Plouffe returns healthy, Dozier keeps doing his thing, and Meyer and May reach their potential, 2015 could be a much better year for a much better ballclub. ---- Anthony Varriano, @GoGonzoJournal, is editor of GoGonzoJournal.com/sports, a sports blog featuring the rants of fans and Gonzo journalists.

Aaron and John are joined by special guest Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune to talk about Ron Gardenhire handling all the losing, Trevor May's turnaround, Danny Santana's rookie season, whether the timetable for contention has been pushed back, Tommy Milone being damaged goods, the value of stealing bases beyond the numbers, Doug Mientkiewicz as a managerial candidate, comparing Delmon Young to Carlos Boozer, the value of a pitching coach and why it's a baseball fan should not be a beat reporter.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. The Twins salvaged the last game versus the White Sox yesterday, and as a result, you can get 50% off a large or extra-large Papa John's pizza on Monday at PapaJohns.com by using the promo code TWINSWIN. Click here to view the article

After dropping four straight against the red-hot Angels over the weekend, the Twins now have 82 losses on the season. That's more than every major-league team other than Arizona, Colorado and Texas. This is good news because it means the Twins are likely headed toward another top pick in next year's draft. Texas is basically assured of finishing with baseball's worst record -- they're already at 89 losses -- but the Twins could easily be picking anywhere from second to fifth. Top five selections have bolstered the Minnesota system in recent years, leading to players like Byron Buxton, Kohl Stewart and Nick Gordon. Of course, the rapidly escalating loss total is also bad news because it means that -- once again -- the Twins are completely tanking late in the season.The sweep at the hands of the Angels marks the fourth time since the beginning of August that the Twins have lost four straight games. Their overall record during that span is 13-23 -- a .361 winning percentage that is depressingly similar to their August/September marks from the past few seasons. When you watch the games, you'd have a hard time saying that the team has simply given up or stopped trying. Three of the games in the Angels series were closely contested and could have gone either way. The offense has churned out runs in recent weeks. Yet, the Twins have lost 12 of their last 15, and as they continue to slide it's looking more and more like they might reach 95 losses in a fourth straight season. Individual bright spots have certainly been evident, but the losing just continues at an outrageous rate. This naturally brings us back to a question that was posed frequently in recent discussions over the outlook for the 2015 Twins: With so little on-field improvement, how can the same coaching staff remain intact going forward? There have been -- and will be -- calls for Ron Gardenhire's dismissal, and that's understandable. He's the manager that has overseen this extended stretch of losing, and ultimately the accountability for all this poor overall play should fall on his shoulders. It has been extremely rare in MLB history for a manager to survive four consecutive 90-loss seasons. However, it sounds like Terry Ryan and the Twins are (unsurprisingly) committed to bringing Gardenhire back, as they apparently consider him the best man to bring their rebuild full-circle. Many people might have a tough time stomaching that reality, but I can live with it. As frustrating as the losses have been, Gardy has done some good things with his lineups and I haven't had any major issues with his in-game management. The impact of his impressive young offensive unit has been negated, however, by a familiar downfall: pitching. This team has been utterly horrible at preventing runs, allowing 5.6 per game on average since the All-Star break. In part, that's because of poor defense, especially in the outfield. In part, it's young starters and relievers taking their lumps and learning to adjust. But the excuses run thin when you consider just how long the Twins have reigned as one of the most hittable teams in baseball. The faces change and the results stay the same. The Twins currently rank second-to-last among AL teams in ERA. That's the same place they've finished in each of the last three years. The man running this staff has had some success stories -- with Phil Hughes certainly standing out as the most notable recent example -- but those have been few and far between. More and more it seems that Rick Anderson's standing is buoyed by past accomplishments that are now disappearing in the rearview mirror. I don't have enough insight as to what happens behind the scenes to declare him a horrible pitching coach, but with the number of young hurlers that have come up and struggled, and the number of pitchers that have been drastically worse here than elsewhere, the evidence has mounted against him to the point of being overwhelming. For me, it would be difficult to view Anderson's retention at this point as anything more than a move to continue appeasing Gardenhire, his longtime friend and co-captain at the helm. And while I'm OK with keeping Gardy around, making decisions based around his comfort is nearly impossible to justify with the way things have been going. When the Twins extended Gardenhire last year, they gave him a two-year deal, meaning he's under contract for next year. But his assistants were only extended for one year. Moving on from Anderson wouldn't require firing him. But to actively re-sign him for another year, with the results we've seen in now four straight seasons, would send a really painful signal to fans. Whether or not he's the problem, the Twins have got to try something new. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John are joined by David Brauer at Mason's Barre and talk about September callups, the Twins marketing survey and whether the Twins are really a culture of accountability.You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it atGleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below.. Click here to view the article