Wasted energy

 I'm sure it's a function of living within the local media market, and being an obsessive follower of Twins fan sites and social media accounts, but it sure seems like the Twins ownership, the Pohlad family, gets a lot more heat than other ownership groups. I'm not here to carry water for the family, if that's what it seems like I'm doing, but rather I'm here to give context to this season's payroll reduction, TV situation, and suggest that even if the Pohlad's sold the team, I'm not sure it would get that much better.

This offseason was marked by television negotiations. The team was expected to find a new streaming friendly deal that would keep the team on the air throughout the 5 state area. In the end, they were only able to get a 1 year deal for an undisclosed amount less than they had made under their previous contract. The Twins took the deal with their previous carrier, the now bankrupt Diamond Sports, which meant no streaming, and fans were upset about the cash grab. 

But if this was a cash grab, that implies that this deal, the one that brought the Twins less (I would guess about 30m less per year) than they had in 2023, for only one year, was the best deal on the table. Last year, I didn't hear about any other options, and there is no buzz about the potential of another deal this offseason, either. 

The argument about the Pohlads is that they are extremely wealthy, and yet they are short changing the Twins. At this point, the Twins are a generational asset for the Pohlads, and not one wealthy person's flight of fancy. Financial decisions to some degree are not fully siloed within the Twins organization, and also, the wins and losses of the team aren't necessarily as important to all the decision makers as the bottom line. 

A case has been made in recent years, certainly, to make the Twins more marketable, and there was an increase in payroll, but it didn't work. There is no lucrative TV deal. The Twins won in the playoffs for the first time, and admittedly in part because of the terrible PR and bad vibes, attendance is down, despite wins being up. No TV, decreased attendance.... The Pohlads may never spend on players again.

But there is value in scarcity. The Pohlads will see the Twins value increase, because there are only 30 teams in the league. There will be a chance that a passionate Twins fan will be interested in the team some day, but they will have to pay through the nose for the team. I wonder who that could be, if such a person even exists. 

If the Pohlads sell, it would likely be to an investment minded person or organization. The Pohlads at least have ties to Minnesota, and despite the tight purse strings, are not as miserly as Contraction Carl. Does the next investor in the team look at the history, the difficult media partnership possibilities an declining attendance in the face of an improving roster and feel any additional desire to augment the team? 

The Pohlads are entitled to do what with their money they please, and you are allowed to feel how you want. Just understand that the days of the free spending Pohlads are probably over, and there is no guarantee that they are ever going away.

Experience comes from experience

 This has been a bumpy week for the Twins, without a doubt. Some heart can be taken in the fact that they have been playing three NL teams that are vying for a playoff spot, but it was still a testament to a young rotation and an overworked bullpen. For better or worse, however, the Twins are still only 2.5 games out of first place and have an 88% chance of reaching the playoffs. 

Despite nearly everything that has gone wrong in the last few weeks, it appears as though the Twins are well on their way to the Playoffs. There is elevated concern now about Bailey Ober after his most recent start, the cataclysm against the Braves, despite his brilliance leading up to this game, which happened to be against a team that has had Minnesota's number for years, in an extremely unfavorable weather setting. 

Greater concern is given to tonight's starter, and two of his brethren. It looks more and more like Simeon Woods-Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews, all rookies, will factor into the Post season roster, with SWR likely starting a potential game three, and Festa and Matthews perhaps pitching out of the bullpen.

People are concerned.

Of course, Woods-Richardson has been pretty good this season, working a 3.69 ERA as a starter before tonight. Where the concern lies is in his experience. Simeon Woods-Richardson, having this be his official rookie season, has never pitched in the postseason. Nor have Festa or Matthews. Ober pitched last season, making this his second turn in the playoffs. It didn't go well the first time, but after a strong regular season, hopes are high. 

For playoff aspirant teams, there is always a demand for battle hardened, playoff tested pitching. The Twins leaned on Pablo Lopez, who was pitching in HIS second postseason, and Sonny Gray who was inconsistent in the playoffs before he was with the Twins, and while with the Twins. Lopez's previous experience, during the 2020 silly season with the Marlins, was wildly different, as the Marlins were playing with house money at that point. His real playoff testing came against the Blue Jays and Astros last year.

And that's the positive spin of this pending post season. The Twins are clearly not going to be making big moves to bring in a front of the rotation starter, but they are going to be near the top of the AL Central for the next several years. You get playoff experience by experiencing he playoffs, and Woods-Richardson, Festa, Matthews and even Ober and Lopez are going to get some more experience. Maybe this won't be their year, but looking at the pieces in place, there will be more chances. 

Really, from this perspective, the only bad news is that Joe Ryan might not get to add the experience as well. And who knows, you play the game on the field, and not on paper. Maybe one of those rookies is going to be precocious, and push the Twins over the edge.

Vibe check

 The Twins are getting squeezed on both sides. Unlike last year when the Twins were eying the postseason, they are both pursuing and being pursued. There was no real competition, the Twins had good starting pitching, and things just seemed a lot more comfortable.

This season has been fraught. Not only are they pursuing the Cleveland Guardians, but the Kansas City Royals are on their heels as well. There isn't any margin for error, and added pressure makes it seem like the Twins are struggling this year much more significantly than the last. On August 20th last year, the Twins won to go to 65-60, while starting Dallas Keuchel against the Pirates. Today, their record is 70-55, but the narratives are all bad.

Part of that, surely, is the two teams they are vying with in the AL Central, and two of the positive narratives those two teams have. Both are fairly raw topics for the Twins fan base, and seeing another organization with success in these areas causes tremors. 

Cleveland has generally improved across the board, but an always above average bullpen has proven to be elite this year. Now, of course, every team is concerned about their bullpen, but the Twins are frustrated in point because they are not getting contributions from players they expected to rely on in the pen. Jhoan Duran and Caleb Thielbar are just off, while free agent additions Jay Jackson and Josh Staumont are already gone, and trade acquisition Justin Topa has been on the shelf all year. There are reasons for fans to be concerned about this pen! 

On the other side of the Twins, is the Kansas City Royals, who were certainly not expected to be where they are this year. Part of the success is attributable to the growth of Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, last year's Joe Ryan-esque acquisition, Cole Ragans, MJ Melendez, Michael Massey and Brady Singer, as well as the renaissance of Salvador Perez. Many people may point to the signings for Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha - who have absolutely been out of their minds this season, producing at a career level, but there is more to the mix than just the free agent acquisitions. 

The Twins have a young rotation, which got younger when Sonny Gray signed with St. Louis, but younger still when Anthony DeSclafani and Chris Paddack got injured. The Twins cut their budget this year, but still managed to get a better pitcher than 2024 Sonny Gray as their #2 arm (Joe Ryan) and their third pitcher is better than last years third option (2024 Bailey Ober vs 2023 Joe Ryan).The real tough spot is at the beginning of the rotation, where Pablo Lopez isn't getting the same level of productivity he got last year, even as his peripherals remain strong.

The Twin are a better team this year than they were last year, and their weaknesses are maybe not entirely as weak as we feel they are. On paper, this is an improved team, even if the vibes are bad.

Anxiety

 The word "deadline" always inspires a little bit of dread. This is when your project is due, your taxes need to be filed, when the thing your are stressed about needs to be completed. Part of the stress is that you need it completed by this particular date. 

Trade deadlines are stress inducing for a different reason. If your team is contention, then the wait is on to see what help you might get. If you are a fan of a team that is out of contention, then you await with some level of apprehension, seeing which of your favorite teams players will be leaving town.

How do you make it worse? Draw things out longer. So far, Isaac Paredes, Zach Elfin, Randy Arozarena and many others have already been traded, and we, as Twins fans, are aligned with a team that, for better or worse, is exceedingly patient. They tend to make their moves within the last hour or so before the deadline, making us all sweat. Will they even DO anything? 

Last year, as it turned out, they didn't, and we still didn't quite believe that until well after the deadline had past. We're at a point where everyone has access to reading a hundred opinions, and we just find ourselves just wanting action. Every ticking moment until the deadline, which will either bring only relief or disappointment.

I think the Twins are going to make a big move this year, running against the momentum of headlines. But I'm just going to be waiting with baited breath, hoping they don't botch another trade for a reliever.

Team USA is reaping what American sports have sowed

Team USA's warm ups to the Olympics have recently gotten a little bumpy. For a nation who has come to expect utter dominance from our men's national basketball team, the tight games against South Sudan and Germany have raised alarm bells. They are not sounding in Adam Silver's office, I'll tell you that much.

Every men's professional league has played a game or series outside of the United States, with some frequency, in the attempt to "grow the game". American sports were so successful at this that the Europeans and South Americans have started bringing their game to the US. As a result, soccer is one of the faster growing sports in the country, and US men's and women's soccer are now players on an international stage, and Major League Soccer is pulling major international superstars.

Like soccer, the barrier to entry in basketball is very low. which allows talented players to emerge from anywhere. South Sudan, for example. Or Serbia or Slovenia, where two of the best players are form, or Nigeria, via Greece. Even Germany had 4 players currently in the NBA on their roster. Surely, the NBA's aggressive global outreach was an important factor in introducing the game, if not to Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic or Giannis Antentokuompo, then surely their friends, or mentors, or whomever taught them the game. 

Now the Olympics are hard. While it isn't great for American interests, this is probably a boon for the IOC as well. Having a globally popular game with world famous athletes playing competitive games will bring eye, which can sometimes be hard to come by for the Olympiad. 

Team USA's struggles are not reflective of an issue with Team USA, even though the criticism will come back on that organization. It's the targeted development of the international game, which is part of a trend in American sports leagues. It's been a resounding success for the NBA, even if it has the potential for disaster in Paris. 

Waking a sleeping giant

 It's no secret that the Twins have not gotten the Christian Vazquez they were hoping for when he signed a three year deal with the club before last season. Fortunately, the wound isn't grievous, as he is still a good defensive backstop, and Ryan Jeffers has ably stepped in and is now among the better hitting catchers in the league.

But still, he is an easy scapegoat for a fanbase that needs someone to blame when things aren't going well. Obviously, the blame will always go to the suits not playing the game, but Vazquez is often the example naysayers bring to the table. With ample reason.

The start of July and really the end of June as well, have been explosive for the Twins. They've had their 25 game home run streak, there was Jose Miranda's record, Brooks Lee's debut, Buxton is coming around, Correa has been on fire... and meanwhile, almost unnoticed by everyone, there is Christian Vazquez. 

So far in the month of July, he's played three games, hit .500, with 2 home runs and 6 runs batted in, which has brought his season's average to over .200. In the 7 run attempted  come back against the Astros, Vazquez had a clutch ground rule double, and then today he hit the walk off home run against Josh Hader. 

 It's not much, but it's something. And in July so far, Vazquez has really been something. 

What in the heck was that?

I got to go to the Twins-Astros game at Target Field on Friday. For a game in which the Twins walked away losers, it may have been the most interesting, entertaining roller coaster I can remember being on. 

Two things that my friend and I knew we would see at the game were the City Connect uniforms (I like the associated merch, the uniforms are fine) and Brooks Lee in his second game. Both came through, as the Twins wore the outfit they said they were going to. For his part, Lee did just fine too, and finished the game, his third of his career, still batting over. 500. 

And yet, Lee was overshadowed by Jose Miranda. He tied the Twins record for consecutive at bats with a hit by going 4-4 in the game against the Astros last night. It didn't help much, because the Twins were down by 8 runs through 8 1/2 innings. But this game won't be remembered for any of that.

It also won't be remembered for Kody Funderburk beaning Cesar Salazar and having the two exchange heated words up the first base line before Carlos Santana came in and played peacemaker. This came after Jose Altuve had to leave the game after being hit by a pitch. For what it's worth, Byron Buxton was hit earlier in the game as well, and Miranda was plunked today, with no flared tempers.

It might be remembered for one of the best catches I've ever seen.

Of course, I didn't see it with my eyes, but I was there! See, here I am on the Bally Sports North feed of the catch, as Loperfido disappeared in the corner. 

Not a great angle.

And while that catch may stand the test of time, last night it wasn't even the most wild part of the night. That was saved for the bottom of the 9th, which started with the Twins behind by 8. The Twins had already replaced Trevor Larnach with Manuel Margot, but Austin Martin and Kyle Farmer had stepped in to give Miranda and Carlos Santana the rest of the night off. Margot struck out, and Martin had a single, followed by a Farmer strikeout. And then the Twins were off.

They hit  three more singles, leading to 2 more runs, and Christian Vazquez coming to the plate. Sureley, this was the end of the road. 

Nope. Vazquez hit a ground rule double. The Twins were down by 5, and Willi Castro walked to load the bases, bringing Carlos Correa, who surely thought the game was over, came up with the bases loaded. And naturally, he hit it just into the flowers to bring it to within 1. For a game that started the bottom of the ninth with an 8 run deficit, the crowd was electric.

Margot struck out immediately thereafter but the point is, it was an incredible game up until that point, full of some of the weirdest, wildest stuff that I've ever seen. 

Oh, and I didn't even mention this play by Correa, which today Glen Perkins described as his best in a Twin uniform.

Or this one, by Altuve, which made me gush, maybe because he was running in our direction before he caught it.

What a game.