![]() “I tried to convince Derek that it would be a good idea for them to give us Mike Napoli,” Levine said, “and he cordially declined.”įalvey’s strengths are scouting and development, especially when it comes to pitching. THE ULTIMATE GAME PLAN TERRI LEVINE SERIESLevine is the quick-witted wordsmith who, Falvey says, is trying to help the boss tap into his humorous side.ĭuring a Rangers-Indians series in August - before they knew they’d be working together in Minnesota - Levine was chatting with Falvey when Cleveland slugger Mike Napoli, a former Rangers player, came over to greet him. Mark Shapiro, the current president and CEO of the Blue Jays, was Cleveland’s GM when a young Falvey joined in 2007 and also has provided career counseling to Levine through the years.įalvey’s vision and patience, Levine said, belie his age. Levine, also a college player, gained marketing experience with Coca-Cola, Reebok and Rockport before working for the Rockies, then joining the Rangers. I knew I had connected with him the number of times I met him.”įalvey is a former college pitcher who got into baseball by volunteering his services at the Cape Cod League and turning it into an internship with Cleveland. “Not just from his baseball acumen, but just the way he connects. “Thad is a real respected guy around the game,” Falvey said. They developed a mutual admiration for one another through the years. They just remember seeing each other through the years when their respective teams played, at winter meetings and dinners. Our focus was to build those resources first and then address the players more specifically.”įalvey, 34, and Levine, 45, can’t remember the first time they met. “Ultimately when we make those decisions it will heighten the chances that those players will not only succeed but they’ll overachieve based upon some of the resources we put around them. “Hopefully this will lead us to making better decisions that will impact a 25-man roster. “I’m totally appreciative of the fact that it doesn’t pay immediate dividends for the fan base, and that’s what they’d demand out of these positions,” said Levine, who joined the Twins after 11 seasons with Texas. In their eyes, it means more than just bringing in new players. But this part of the plan is directed at helping players throughout the system improve. THE ULTIMATE GAME PLAN TERRI LEVINE FREENo, the two did not make an impact trade or drop a nine-figure salary on a top free agent. Scouting, development, training, nutrition, sleep, game-planning and other areas are all being addressed by the new administration. The player meetings - Levine joked that they were “speed dating” - are just one aspect. But there was an inside-out build at work in Fort Myers that will sweep through the minor league system and end up at 1 Twins Way.įalvey and Levine are working over the baseball infrastructure. There has not been a makeover of the roster, although it might eventually happen. As the 57th season of Twins baseball begins Monday, their plan is being implemented. Instead Twins players, from the minors to the majors, have gotten a taste of the duo’s vision of a productive organization. “That’s what we want to see from the brass - because everyone is in this together.”įalvey was named Twins chief baseball officer and Levine became senior vice president and general manager in early November, leading to a general belief there would be a flurry of offseason activity. “We’ve joked how many times they have used the word ‘collaborative,’ ” Dozier said. “It was an encouraging meeting, for them to have so much confidence in what I can do,” Gibson said.īrian Dozier, whose 42 home runs formed one of the few bright spots for a 59-103 team last season, liked the concept of having every player meet with Falvey and Levine - the team’s new bosses - and manager Paul Molitor to discuss objectives. – Kyle Gibson didn’t know what to expect when he entered a meeting with Derek Falvey and Thad Levine at the beginning of Twins training camp.īut quickly Gibson was told he was not far from being a top major league pitcher. ![]()
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