Damn Twins

The 2016 Minnesota Twins; I've never been so wrong about a team coming out of Spring Training.  If you go back, I actually had optimism, a feeling this team might be able to do some real damage in the American League Central.  Instead, I've egg on my face.  The team's a certifiable train wreck, destined for AT LEAST 100 losses, and near empty stands after the All Star Break.  There's no need to even go to the games for the giveaways, as pathetic collectors will wait for hours to gobble them up and leave, meaning you and your kids will have to watch a God awful baseball team in a near empty stadium, with nothing to show for it, but the indigestion.  Damn Twins...

I remember the first game of the season, the first series, the first home series, waiting for their first win.  "They'll win tomorrow!" "Hey, at least they won't get swept." "It's tough to win on the road in early April.  They'll get one at KC."  "They won't begin the season 0-6." "Finally they're at home!" "0-8 is a tough start to the season, but they won't get swept in their opening series, at home, by the freaking White Sox." Damn Twins...

0-9!  Worst star EVER for the franchise, but even then there was a ray of hope.  They swept a far superior Angles squad, and split with the Brewers.  Then they lost 6 of their next 8.  They finished April 7-17.  May was 8-19, an .005 improvement.  Damn Twins...

One of the biggest problems the Twins have is talent management.  In the last 20 years, how many players in the league once wore a Twins uniform, only to become a far superior player elsewhere?  At least two dozen, each with varying levels of success, but success none the less.  This is two fold.  Not only are we doing a horrible job of managing and developing players while they're with the organization, we also give up on them when they fail to do it the 'Twins way,' shipping them away, usually for diminishing returns.  Then some other team asks, "why in God's name were the Twins making you do it that way?  That's dumb!  Do it this way."  Instant superstar!  Damn Twins...

Then there's Joe Mauer, or rather his monster contract he really doesn't deserve, nor can the Twins afford.  Twenty three million for a guy who has a good bat, not a great bat; a good bat.  He's still bottom third in the league as far as 1st basemen, but because the team is too cowardly to send him out to right field and platoon Sano and Park at 1st, they're stuck with a bronze glover at best.   To get 23 million, Mauer should be hitting .300 to .315, with at least 15 HR's, and he should be one of the top players at his position.  He's just not.  He seems like a great dad, and a really nice guy, but he's just not a 23 million a year baseball player.  That was a REALLY bad contract.  Damn Twins...

The Twins have also fallen in love with unproven, developing talent.  I think they're desperate to make good for shipping David Ortiz off to Boston, so they keep banking on the next big thing coming our way out of the minors.  This fails two ways;  1) There are very few Ortiz level players in development today.  For every Ortiz, there are 200 not-Ortiz's.  They're not easy to find, 2) the amount of pressure put on the anointed players is massive, often causing the player to wilt.  Take Byron Buxton.  The Twins have made this kid out to be the 2nd coming of Killebrew, the most touted minor leaguer in all of baseball for three straight years.  He's hitting barely over .200, and even though he can field, he seems to be having trouble finding his way.  No worries, we'll outright release him in a year, only to watch him go to another team, win 6 batting titles, and four World Series.  Damn Twins...

I could spend all day going over numerous other player failures or coaching styles (say what you want, you don't start a season 0-9 without a large part of the blame being on the coaching and conditioning staff), but I'll go with the biggest problem on the team.  They don't have a Redass.  Redass is an affectionate term for a guy in the dugout who's still in love with the game, still in love with winning, and they've no problem holding every other player in the clubhouse to his and their highest standard, game in and game out.

The Twins have had some great Redasses over the years, Torii Hunter and Mike Redman come to mind, but Jim Thome and AJ Pierzynski had that reputation too.  These guys would openly call out other players in the clubhouse for underperforming; chewing out, cussing and even punching players, regardless of salary, who they thought were not playing up to their potential.  The Twins don't have a Redass this season.  Mauer will never be one.  Maybe Sano eventually, but the Twins organization are still firmly committed to this being Mauer's team, meaning Sano will always be told to take a back seat, or will be shipped away if he starts becoming a Redass.  At some point, they stop being starry eyed kids playing a game, and become millionaires at the office, only in it for the paycheck.  We need someone on the team to remind these soft millionaires of the fire which got them to the majors.  Damn Twins...

I'm realizing the tickets I got for this season are not worth the paper they're printed on.  I'd scalp them, but I'd lose money.  Maybe I'll gift them.  After July 4th, I'll be following the Boston Red Sox, and then the Vikes, and then the Wild.  Anyone but the damn Twins.