Let's Hear It For Terry Ryan!

[Crash Course]

Amen!

http://www.iht.com/articles/520135.html

Terry Ryan will never rise to the glamour level of Billy Beane, and the Minnesota Twins will never be as celebrated as the Oakland Athletics. No one is likely to write a best-selling book about Ryan and the Twins, as has been done about Beane and the Athletics.
.
But the Twins deserve every bit as much attention and credit as the Athletics have received in recent years, turning a low-budget band of young players into a championship team.
.
The Athletics have won the American League West three of the last four seasons; the Twins have won the AL Central title the past two years without the assistance of a pitching staff like the one in Oakland, which includes Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and was the foundation of its championships.
.
While the Athletics have struggled in the early weeks of this season, the Twins are in first place again. After beating the Chicago White Sox, 4-1, on Saturday, the Twins were three games ahead in the Central. They are defending their division championship with a $53.5 million payroll, which ranks 20th in the major leagues. The Athletics' payroll is 17th, at $58.8 million.
.
"If I had to pick a model, it would be the Twins," the San Diego general manager, Kevin Towers, said. "That's a club I always look at and say if we could do what the Twins do, I'd be pretty pleased."
.
Besides the way he has rebuilt the Twins on a small budget in his 10 years as general manager, Ryan earned considerable respect and admiration after the 2001 season by forgoing a job change.
.
As Commissioner Bud Selig was considering which teams to eliminate, the Twins were the No. 1 target, and it appeared that Ryan's job might be yanked from under him. But when the Toronto Blue Jays invited him to be interviewed for their general manager's job, he declined, explaining that he wanted to remain loyal to Twins employees. They have repaid his loyalty. "We've tried to get a couple of their scouts, and they won't leave," Towers said.
.
The Twins went on to finish first under a new manager, Ron Gardenhire, in the next two seasons. Finishing first this year was going to be more difficult once the Twins, for economic reasons, traded catcher A.J. Pierzynski and pitcher Eric Milton and let pitchers Kenny Rogers, Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins leave as free agents.
.
"Unfortunately, when you look at the economics, there are only so many players you can put into the equation," Ryan said. "We always have tough decisions to make during the winter."
.
Ryan, as it has turned out, traded judiciously. For Milton, he got Carlos Silva, who has become the team's most successful starting pitcher, winning his first five starts with a 3.11 earned run average. For Pierzynski, he got Joe Nathan, who replaced Guardado as the closer and gained 11 saves in 12 opportunities with a 1.45 ERA.
.
Silva relieved 129 times and started once in two seasons with Philadelphia but was primarily a starter in the minor leagues. Nathan, 29, was not a closer in one full season and parts of three others with San Francisco but became the setup man last year when Tim Worrell became the closer in place of the injured Robb Nen.
.
Injuries have threatened to undermine the Twins. Catcher Joe Mauer, a rookie, is out after hurting his knee in the second game - he is expected back in about two weeks - and center fielder Torii Hunter went on the disabled list at the same time with a strained hamstring, returning after 20 days.
.
Lew Ford, who batted .329 in 34 games for the Twins last season, was summoned from the minors a week into the season to replace Hunter and has become the team's No. 1 hitter, with a .343 average and 22 runs batted in.
.
Despite the Twins' continued success, Ryan is not ready to put them on the Athletics' level. Nor is he ready to anything to Oakland's way of doing things.
.
"All of us evaluate in the same fashion," said Ryan, who came up through the scouting ranks. "We all do the statistical background. I know there's a lot of publicity about Oakland, but a lot of teams do that. When we evaluate players, we go into statistics, but we're not totally statistically oriented. It's not the total reason we make decisions."
.
The New York Times Terry Ryan will never rise to the glamour level of Billy Beane, and the Minnesota Twins will never be as celebrated as the Oakland Athletics. No one is likely to write a best-selling book about Ryan and the Twins, as has been done about Beane and the Athletics.
.
But the Twins deserve every bit as much attention and credit as the Athletics have received in recent years, turning a low-budget band of young players into a championship team.
.
The Athletics have won the American League West three of the last four seasons; the Twins have won the AL Central title the past two years without the assistance of a pitching staff like the one in Oakland, which includes Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and was the foundation of its championships.
.
While the Athletics have struggled in the early weeks of this season, the Twins are in first place again. After beating the Chicago White Sox, 4-1, on Saturday, the Twins were three games ahead in the Central. They are defending their division championship with a $53.5 million payroll, which ranks 20th in the major leagues. The Athletics' payroll is 17th, at $58.8 million.
.
"If I had to pick a model, it would be the Twins," the San Diego general manager, Kevin Towers, said. "That's a club I always look at and say if we could do what the Twins do, I'd be pretty pleased."
.
Besides the way he has rebuilt the Twins on a small budget in his 10 years as general manager, Ryan earned considerable respect and admiration after the 2001 season by forgoing a job change.
.
As Commissioner Bud Selig was considering which teams to eliminate, the Twins were the No. 1 target, and it appeared that Ryan's job might be yanked from under him. But when the Toronto Blue Jays invited him to be interviewed for their general manager's job, he declined, explaining that he wanted to remain loyal to Twins employees. They have repaid his loyalty. "We've tried to get a couple of their scouts, and they won't leave," Towers said.
.
The Twins went on to finish first under a new manager, Ron Gardenhire, in the next two seasons. Finishing first this year was going to be more difficult once the Twins, for economic reasons, traded catcher A.J. Pierzynski and pitcher Eric Milton and let pitchers Kenny Rogers, Eddie Guardado and LaTroy Hawkins leave as free agents.
.
"Unfortunately, when you look at the economics, there are only so many players you can put into the equation," Ryan said. "We always have tough decisions to make during the winter."
.
Ryan, as it has turned out, traded judiciously. For Milton, he got Carlos Silva, who has become the team's most successful starting pitcher, winning his first five starts with a 3.11 earned run average. For Pierzynski, he got Joe Nathan, who replaced Guardado as the closer and gained 11 saves in 12 opportunities with a 1.45 ERA.
.
Silva relieved 129 times and started once in two seasons with Philadelphia but was primarily a starter in the minor leagues. Nathan, 29, was not a closer in one full season and parts of three others with San Francisco but became the setup man last year when Tim Worrell became the closer in place of the injured Robb Nen.
.
Injuries have threatened to undermine the Twins. Catcher Joe Mauer, a rookie, is out after hurting his knee in the second game - he is expected back in about two weeks - and center fielder Torii Hunter went on the disabled list at the same time with a strained hamstring, returning after 20 days.
.
Lew Ford, who batted .329 in 34 games for the Twins last season, was summoned from the minors a week into the season to replace Hunter and has become the team's No. 1 hitter, with a .343 average and 22 runs batted in.
.
Despite the Twins' continued success, Ryan is not ready to put them on the Athletics' level. Nor is he ready to anything to Oakland's way of doing things.
.
"All of us evaluate in the same fashion," said Ryan, who came up through the scouting ranks. "We all do the statistical background. I know there's a lot of publicity about Oakland, but a lot of teams do that. When we evaluate players, we go into statistics, but we're not totally statistically oriented. It's not the total reason we make decisions."
.
The New York Times Terry Ryan will never rise to the glamour level of Billy Beane, and the Minnesota Twins will never be as celebrated as the Oakland Athletics. No one is likely to write a best-selling book about Ryan and the Twins, as has been done about Beane and the Athletics.
.
But the Twins deserve every bit as much attention and credit as the Athletics have received in recent years, turning a low-budget band of young players into a championship team.
.
The Athletics have won the American League West three of the last four seasons; the Twins have won the AL Central title the past two years without the assistance of a pitching staff like the one in Oakland, which includes Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and was the foundation of its championships.
.
While the Athletics have struggled in the early weeks of this season, the Twins are in first place again. After beating the Chicago White Sox, 4-1, on Saturday, the Twins were three games ahead in the Central. They are defending their division championship with a $53.5 million payroll, which ranks 20th in the major leagues. The Athletics' payroll is 17th, at $58.8 million.
.
"If I had to pick a model, it would be the Twins," the San Diego general manager, Kevin Towers, said. "That's a club I always look at and say if we could do what the Twins do, I'd be pretty pleased."

[sweaver]

Except........

the Twins have scraped by in a weak division, helped by the White Sox' incompetence. The Twins have had a surplus of outfielders and a deficit of infielders, plus shaky pitching, for the last few years, and Ryan has done nothing to alter that besides bringing in another OF last year. I'll give the Twins credit for having a strong farm system. But the other half of the job, re-forming the talent into a more effective unit, Ryan has failed at that part of the job.

[SmedIndy]

Why post the link when you copy the whole story?

And the Twins have had the same post seasons results that you continually deride the A's for...

[Crash Course]

Originally Posted by SmedIndy

Why post the link when you copy the whole story?

And the Twins have had the same post seasons results that you continually deride the A's for...

A. There's more to the story. See the "NEXT" link in the lower right of the page. I did not copy the whole story.

B. You are not correct Smedie.

1. The Twins have advanced past the ALDS - see 2002 where they beat the A's.
2. "Continually deride"? I wrote one SOTS where I talked about the Curse of Big Mac. Maybe I've mentioned in other places that they have won squat. But, "continually deride"?

In any event, let's try and keep this on topic - on the Twins and Ryan - and not make this an attack on me, or about the A's. Thanks.

[Crash Course]

Originally Posted by sweaver

Except........

the Twins have scraped by in a weak division, helped by the White Sox' incompetence. The Twins have had a surplus of outfielders and a deficit of infielders, plus shaky pitching, for the last few years, and Ryan has done nothing to alter that besides bringing in another OF last year. I'll give the Twins credit for having a strong farm system. But the other half of the job, re-forming the talent into a more effective unit, Ryan has failed at that part of the job.

What ever happen to "just win baby"?
Is there no honor in winning with what you have, can afford, and where you are?

[SmedIndy]

I thought winning it all was the only thing.

[SmedIndy]

Originally Posted by Crash Course

Is there no honor in winning with what you have, can afford, and where you are?

Then give others the same due - I admire Ryan's job in Minnesota - he has some strong handicaps. But he also had some luck in the Twins division, though.

[KCBOOMER]

Ryan has done a fine job building a very productive farm system. He has built a farm system that is rich and deep in hitting quality.

His trading has been of a much lower quality. The prime example ballyhooed in the article was Carlos Silva. Ryan picked up Silva when he did a salary dump of Eric Milton to the Phillies. Silva was just a middle innings guy for the Phils. Only when Gardenhire, not Ryan, called Bowa and was told by Bowa that Silva really wanted to be a starter did the idea of using Silva as a starter even enter the picture. Other than functioning as the blind hog Ryan had no contribution here.

On the other issues, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and flies like a duck, the odds are it's a duck.