2014 AL Central catch-all thread

[Dick Allen]

I posted some good articles awhile back about the Pirates success with pitching and defense. Essentially, they are teaching all their starters to induce ground balls, which they then can take advantage of through extensive defensive positioning.

Sounds like what Hahn is trying to do.

[Goober]

see ya tubby

[southsider2k5]

This would be awesome

 

The Professor ‏@TargetField101 9m

 

Report: Ozzie Guillen 'Very Interested' in Twins Job (via http://ble.ac/teamstream ) not sure how I'd feel yet. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/df3zj?utm_cam...rce=twitter.com …

[TheTruth05]

This would be awesome

 

The Professor ‏@TargetField101 9m

 

Report: Ozzie Guillen 'Very Interested' in Twins Job (via http://ble.ac/teamstream ) not sure how I'd feel yet. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/df3zj?utm_cam...rce=twitter.com …

 

He'd take that job in a heartbeat, hell, he's probably calling Minnesota right now offering himself.

[Dick Allen]

This would be awesome

 

The Professor ‏@TargetField101 9m

 

Report: Ozzie Guillen 'Very Interested' in Twins Job (via http://ble.ac/teamstream ) not sure how I'd feel yet. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/df3zj?utm_cam...rce=twitter.com …

Let Oney and Ozney become Twins fans. Their behavior sitting behind the White Sox dugout hoping the White Sox finish last ( I was sitting right behind them) about a month ago was shockingly (sarcasm) classless. If they want to hate the White Sox, fine. But don't go to USCF and sit in White Sox house seats for nothing, and do that.

[Rowand44]

Let Oney and Ozney become Twins fans. Their behavior sitting behind the White Sox dugout hoping the White Sox finish last ( I was sitting right behind them) about a month ago was shockingly (sarcasm) classless. If they want to hate the White Sox, fine. But don't go to USCF and sit in White Sox house seats for nothing, and do that.

The Guillen kids would never be classless, that's an outrageous claim.

[greg775]

This is awful news about Guillen. Geezus baseball is testing my patience. I could never hate a team in which Guillen is the manager. As Twins' manager he'll be doing things like throwing at Sox hitters, going after our players, etc. Playing Ozzie 20 times as a "rival?" Sickening and sad. It's hard to imagine Ozzie wanting and needing to beat the Sox to go to the postseason. He'll be hated so badly on the Southside. He'll go from pretty popular to the devil with our fans.

I wish Robin would agree to be hitting coach and let Ozzie return. Sign them both to 10 year deals with lots of clauses involving Ozzie's behavior. No offense to Robin, but I would think even the most ardent Ozzie hater on this board would agree he's a MUCH better skipper than Robin Ventura.

DONT LET OZ GO TO MINNESOTA. Horrible thought.

Edited September 30, 2014 by greg775

[Jerksticks]

I don't see the Twins as an organization that wants OG representing it to the world.

[greg775]

I don't see the Twins as an organization that wants OG representing it to the world.

 

Thing is, he's hungry and he's a great baseball mind. Like you suggest, It's just that mouth that couldn't stop roaring in Chicago and Miami.

[caulfield12]

Molitor will be the choice.

 

Book it.

 

 

 

As far as the next White Sox manager, I want Jeff Bannister. He just missed on the Astros' job to AJ Hinch. I watched him for a whole season with the Augusta GreenJackets when we won the South Atlantic League championship in 1995, and he's a fair but strict disciplinarian (military background) who was able to keep Jose Guillen in check that season. I can guarantee we wouldn't be seeing any of the same mistakes in terms of baserunning and fielding we've consistently been seeing out of the White Sox the past two seasons.

 

http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/97006...-get-astros-job

 

[Kyyle23]

Molitor will be the choice.

 

Book it.

 

 

 

As far as the next White Sox manager, I want Jeff Bannister. He just missed on the Astros' job to AJ Hinch. I watched him for a whole season with the Augusta GreenJackets when we won the South Atlantic League championship in 1995, and he's a fair but strict disciplinarian (military background) who was able to keep Jose Guillen in check that season. I can guarantee we wouldn't be seeing any of the same mistakes in terms of baserunning and fielding we've consistently been seeing out of the White Sox the past two seasons.

 

http://m.astros.mlb.com/news/article/97006...-get-astros-job

 

They are going to hire Molitor after they just fired him?

[caulfield12]

They are going to hire Molitor after they just fired him?

 

If that's how you choose to look at it...they aren't letting all 7 coaches go, by the way, it's going to be at the new manager's and Terry Ryan's discretion.

 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/277536121.html

 

 

Buxton, Sano, Danny Santana, Brian Dozier and Kennys Vargas will be the Twins’ most important position players for the rest of this decade. They all swear by Molitor.

 

This summer, I asked Buxton and Sano who they rely on in the Twins’ organization. Both said, “Molitor.”

 

I asked, “Who else?”

 

Both said, “Molitor.”

 

Of the thousands of baseball people I’ve encountered, perhaps only Kelly sees a game with the same incisiveness and prescience as Molitor, who can steal signs and find a pitcher’s “tells” before he starts his windup.

 

Those seeking a symbolic changing of the guard will beg the Twins to look outside their organization, to steal brainpower from the Cardinals. Hiring candidates associated with success is risky, though. Bill Belichick’s coordinators have not lasted as head coaches (see Dave Martinez).

 

The Twins know what they have in Molitor. He’s a baseball genius, a gifted teacher of young players, a Hall of Fame competitor and, as something of an outcast on Gardenhire’s coaching staff, the rare detached insider who knows exactly what this team needs to improve.

 

So the Twins should do as Ryan insists, and conduct a wide-ranging international search for their next manager.

 

And then they should hire Molitor.

Edited September 30, 2014 by caulfield12

[Dick Allen]

They are going to hire Molitor after they just fired him?

I wondered that initially, but all of their coaches had their contracts expiring anyway. The new manager will be able to pick his own staff.

 

So technically Molitor is gone, but apparently still a candidate to take over.

 

Personally, if they are saying they didn't win enough with the players they gave Gardy, I don't see how an internal hire makes sense. But if I were a manager, the Twins job has to be about attractive as there is. A loaded system and an organization that doesn't like change in that position. You could ride it into retirement.

[caulfield12]

I wondered that initially, but all of their coaches had their contracts expiring anyway. The new manager will be able to pick his own staff.

 

So technically Molitor is gone, but apparently still a candidate to take over.

 

Personally, if they are saying they didn't win enough with the players they gave Gardy, I don't see how an internal hire makes sense. But if I were a manager, the Twins job has to be about attractive as there is. A loaded system and an organization that doesn't like change in that position. You could ride it into retirement.

 

 

The Twins are like the White Sox, but even more insular.

 

Twins Way, etc.

 

Why would they want to bring in someone like Dave Martinez (Maddon Way), Torey Lovullo (Red Sox Way/Blue Jays, AL East, etc.)...when they have a homegrown favorite son to take over, ala Robin Ventura in Chicago?

 

The only other hire of the hot names out there that I would support if I were the Pohlads is Jeff Bannister...because they've lost a lot of their identity (pitching, strike throwing, lockdown pen, defense, fundamentals, speed, execution, letting their opponents beat themselves) from the 2001-2010 period.

 

Sure, they spent money on Phil Hughes, Nolasco and Suzuki, the two of those guys were excellent.

 

That doesn't mean they're still not 2 starters short (Meyer and Gibson look like keepers)...and Joe Mauer has been a shadow of his former self. When Buxton, Sano, Hicks, Vargas, Arcia, Plouffe, Dozier, etc., start firing on all cylinders, they'll be a TOUGH TOUGH out. In some ways, they're ahead of the White Sox, because they also have two of the top 10 prospects in baseball. With that said, as the Cubs' example has proven, they also have a 1-2 year learning curve ahead of them.

Edited September 30, 2014 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

If it's not Molitor, I'm guessing it will be Doug Mientkiewicz, who's already leading Twins' minor league teams to league championships...possibly (although not likely) with AJ Pierzynski as his bench coach.

 

Terry Steinbach (catchers always make the best managers) is another strong candidate.

Edited September 30, 2014 by caulfield12

[Benchwarmerjim]

Im about 75% sure its going to be Molitor.

 

He was pegged to take over for Tom Kelly back in 2001, but the contraction issue made take the Twins job not the surest thing. He's been a roving instructor for many years before coming back to the bench this year (was a coach under the Kelly regime). He is "one of us" (Minnesota love their own). Also as caulfield said a couple posts ago, Molitor has a brilliant baseball mind.

 

Just thinking about it, I think the short list is (in order of likeliness):

 

Molitor

Mientkiewicz

Outsider

Steinbach (probably going to end up in Arizona)

Jake Mauer (Cedar Rapids manager and Joe Mauer's brother)

[TheTruth05]

Im about 75% sure its going to be Molitor.

 

He was pegged to take over for Tom Kelly back in 2001, but the contraction issue made take the Twins job not the surest thing. He's been a roving instructor for many years before coming back to the bench this year (was a coach under the Kelly regime). He is "one of us" (Minnesota love their own). Also as caulfield said a couple posts ago, Molitor has a brilliant baseball mind.

 

Just thinking about it, I think the short list is (in order of likeliness):

 

Molitor

Mientkiewicz

Outsider

Steinbach (probably going to end up in Arizona)

Jake Mauer (Cedar Rapids manager and Joe Mauer's brother)

 

No ozzie guillen?

[Benchwarmerjim]

no. you guys can have him back

=p

[witesoxfan]

no. you guys can have him back

=p

 

No, we insist, you take him.

[greg775]

Do you think Detroit's latest choke job will bring them back to earth during the regular season? Are they going to finally turn into the Rangers?

How many years can you fail in the postseason without it affecting players' confidence and regular season results?

[caulfield12]

Do you think Detroit's latest choke job will bring them back to earth during the regular season? Are they going to finally turn into the Rangers?

How many years can you fail in the postseason without it affecting players' confidence and regular season results?

 

The rangers had nearly every starter go down.

So if verlander porcello and price all miss more than 100 games next year then they'll be the rangers...and it's similar replacing Nelson Cruz and the tigers without victor Martinez.

[Balta1701]

Do you think Detroit's latest choke job will bring them back to earth during the regular season? Are they going to finally turn into the Rangers?

How many years can you fail in the postseason without it affecting players' confidence and regular season results?

Confidence has very little to do with it. Victor Martinez being less than super human or even not there next year, Miguel Cabrera being a year older, and perhaps most importantly Scherzer being gone are their worries for next year. On top of that, Nathan and Hunter are free agents and are quite old.

 

Just to stay treading water will cost that team like $40 million+ next offseason. JD Martinez helps them a ton, Castellanos playing well in his 2nd year would help, but that is an old, expensive team with just about as many needs as us.

[southsider2k5]

Confidence has very little to do with it. Victor Martinez being less than super human or even not there next year, Miguel Cabrera being a year older, and perhaps most importantly Scherzer being gone are their worries for next year. On top of that, Nathan and Hunter are free agents and are quite old.

 

Just to stay treading water will cost that team like $40 million+ next offseason. JD Martinez helps them a ton, Castellanos playing well in his 2nd year would help, but that is an old, expensive team with just about as many needs as us.

 

This post makes me happy.

[greg775]

Confidence has very little to do with it. Victor Martinez being less than super human or even not there next year, Miguel Cabrera being a year older, and perhaps most importantly Scherzer being gone are their worries for next year. On top of that, Nathan and Hunter are free agents and are quite old.

 

Just to stay treading water will cost that team like $40 million+ next offseason. JD Martinez helps them a ton, Castellanos playing well in his 2nd year would help, but that is an old, expensive team with just about as many needs as us.

 

Great post.

Detroit is going to go crazy money wise trying to fix that bullpen. It'd be nice if their owner gave up and started selling off players like some other teams have done. Would be nice if Detroit became the new Minnie, cheapskates and losers.

[Balta1701]

Great post.

Detroit is going to go crazy money wise trying to fix that bullpen. It'd be nice if their owner gave up and started selling off players like some other teams have done. Would be nice if Detroit became the new Minnie, cheapskates and losers.

They do the same basic thing every year, they stack their lineup and rotation and piece together a patchwork bullpen.