Transcripts

SPEAKER 1: Well, watching the team full of players who have been around for a couple of years and they're probably reacting to their first time in their career-- in their pro careers in some serious games, where a lot of things are on the line and you're getting a good test of what some of these guys are made of. And right now, just being in this whole thing for the first time, in which a lot of pitchers count and every little game means something toward the playoffs, and some guys are getting a little tight. Some guys aren't.

But you look out at-- you look out at it on the field at that team, before they made trades for Rick Reed and Todd Jones, they were the second youngest team in Major leagues. And you forget that. And it puts things into perspective about where this team is headed. It's still a developing team. Sometimes it takes three or four years for players to establish themselves. And a lot of players are just starting for maybe the second year or maybe in their third year and you're just seeing them struggle a little bit.

SPEAKER 2: Val, you mentioned some of the guys are looking pretty tight out there, not only in the field, but as they're taking-- as they're at the plate. What's TK saying or the coaches saying to try to relax some of these guys.

SPEAKER 1: Well, the manager's approach to this whole thing is that if you start saying things differently, if you start behaving a little differently, it is a sign of panic. And he doesn't want to do that. He wants to show the players that need the same daily approach and treat the games as if they're April and May. So you don't put too much emphasis on one game and you have a good mental equilibrium. You're playing these tough teams and these important games.

And so right now, they're a little disappointed at the team because their approaches in the offense have been a little shaky lately, especially a lot of players have been swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. And when you do that, you're helping out the pitcher and you're not putting yourself in a good position to be an offensive threat. And so right now, he's been harping on them about that.

And a couple of players have stood up and said, we should be happy right now because over the last couple of years, we were in last place and we were a bad team. This year, and there's something on the line and we should be pleased with that and we should be having fun. We shouldn't be worrying about struggles or being tense or being tight or succumbing to pressure during this time.

SPEAKER 2: How have the injuries affected some of the players, like, say, Brad Radtke's injury and Cristian Guzman in his status?

SPEAKER 1: I think Christian Guzman's injury is a big one for the team. Guzman has been out since the day after the All-Star break with shoulder inflammation. And Guzman because he is so fast and he does have a lot of flash, he was leading the majors in triples and he's a very good shortstop, batting over 300. An All-Star player. He helped the Twins. He helped give the Twins their identity this year. Just about the type of team they are, a very hustling, aggressive, showing their speed and defense type team and putting the ball in play and running like heck. And I think that's really hurt the team.