Category: Twins

Now what for the Minnesota Twins?

The embarrassing 2011 season is only weeks away from ending but how the offseason goes will tell the more passionate and savvy fans a lot about this organization’s future.

Ownership and management could take a “cosmetic” approach in the months ahead.  Make a few changes and rationalize 2011 as a tough luck season, mostly caused by an unusually high number of injuries.  But rather than take the victim approach, the decision makers at Target Field are advised to audit the entire organization and everyone in it.

Best business practices call for nothing less.  The process should include fact finding and opinion from not only the ownership and top management, but also the advice of consultants who can look more objectively at the organization and its people.

The Twins were 94-68 last season and have won six of the last nine Central Division titles, but even those ball clubs frustrated themselves and fans with their dismal playoff records.  The Twins weren’t built to play with baseball’s best teams, and this year’s club couldn’t compete very well against past Minnesota championship teams.

The 2011 Twins are stumbling to the season’s finish line.  The club has a 6-19 record in August and lost 15 of its last 18 home games.  Minnesota is 10-28 against the powerful East Division, the American League’s best grouping of teams.  The Twins have lost five straight series at home.

It’s time to look at everything and everybody involved with what the Twins do during the season, the offseason and spring training.  The scrutiny certainly needs to start with general manager Billy Smith and the organization’s other talent evaluators, but the organizational analysis needs to go beyond that and try to answer questions about coaching, conditioning and best use of player payroll.

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Joe Mauer has one home run in 207 at bats this season.  The lack of power has become a source of frequent criticism about the Twins’ left-handed hitting catcher.

His grandfather, Jake Mauer, has provided baseball counsel to the Twins’ $184 million man since Joe was a toddler.  The older Mauer told Sports Headliners the left knee Joe had surgery on during the past offseason still isn’t right and the usual physical abuses of catching doesn’t help the power hitting either.

“Well, he’s banged up.  He’s only 80 percent right now,” Jake Mauer said.  “He still has trouble with his left knee.  When he hits off the back foot he cannot put all his weight on it (the knee).  He has to distribute his weight to the front foot, and therefore (hits) all ground balls, all easy plays.  No power because you hit off your back foot.”

Mauer has never experienced such a power outage with the Twins.  His previous season low was in 2004 when he hit six home runs in 107 at bats.

Mauer has played in part or most of eight seasons with the Twins.  He’s not a home run hitter, only twice achieving double figures in home runs, with 13 in 2006 and 28 in 2009.

His grandfather believes the home runs will come with more frequency next season.  “Oh, yeah,” Jake said. “He’ll get back next year, probably.  He’ll have the whole winter to relax.  No operation, no nothing.”

Many of Mauer’s hits this year are to left field, as they were during that 2009 season when he hit home runs that just cleared the left field fence at the Metrodome.  That season Mauer won the American League batting title with a .365 average and was the AL MVP.

Mauer has played 11 games at first base without an error this season but his grandfather said Joe has no plans to give up catching.  “He enjoys it (first base),” Jake said. “He thinks it’s fun. As a longevity (move), no.  He wants to be a catcher.”

The Twins fell 10 games behind first place Detroit last weekend, ending hopes in the minds of many fans for a Minnesota Central Division title.   How does Joe feel about the club?

“He still thinks he’s gotta chance,” Jake said.  “What the hell else can he say?  I think he’s saying that because he thinks no matter how low you can get, he always wants to climb up to be a winner. And he’ll never give up, and he still thinks the team is going to do it.”

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Baseball America’s top 10 Twins prospects going into this season were (in order) pitcher Kyle Gibson, outfielder Aaron Hicks, infielder Miguel Sano, outfielder Joe Benson, outfielder Ben Revere, pitcher Liam Hendriks, pitcher Alex Wimmers, pitcher Adrian Salcedo, outfielder Oswaldo Arcia and pitcher Carlos Gutierrez.

Baseball America got it right in 2003 when ranking the Twins’ top three prospects as Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer.

Twins infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka is eligible to come off the disabled list next Tuesday.  He last played in a major league game on April 7.

Jake Mauer, Joe Mauer’s grandfather, predicted last month the Twins’ catcher would return from the disabled list by today, but still no confirmation when Joe will be back in the lineup.

The Twins finish a three game series in Detroit tonight.  The Twins are 0-8 in their last eight games against the Tigers.

Bruce Krinke said discussions with the Gophers marketing department are to possibly present a bronze bust of legendary Minnesota Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith at the September 24 game against North Dakota State at TCF Bank Stadium. Two busts have been completed by Faribault artist Ivan Whillock immortalizing Smith, a Faribault native and the only Gopher ever to win the Heisman.  Plans are for one bust to be displayed at the University and the other at Faribault High School.

Krinke, a Gophers fan who has helped lead the funding drive to pay for the busts, also said one of the busts will be on display June 21-24 at the State Bank of Faribault.  It’s hoped that Smith’s sister, June Smith, will be able to attend a commemorative luncheon on Friday, June 24 in Faribault.  Smith, who won the 1941 Heisman and later inspired a Hollywood movie titled Smith of Minnesota, grew up in Faribault.

 

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