Along with renewals for season tickets, the Twins sent out a three-plus minute video Tuesday morning to season ticket holders trying to explain what went wrong this year and trying to get them to stick with the team in 2017.
On the video, President Dave St. Peter, manager Paul Molitor and second baseman Brian Dozier touched on a range of subjects in a session that was markedly upbeat — standing in contrast to a team that is now 53-91.
Then again, if you're trying convince fans to stick with the product, you have to accentuate the positives.
"My optimism going forward lies in the foundation of the team that we have already assembled," Molitor said. He singled out players like Joe Mauer and Dozier and added that the young players are complementing them.
"One of the things I love more than anything about our young players is that they're willing to listen," Dozier said.
In explaining the slow start, Molitor said the team lost too many close games early and dug itself a big hole. But he promised that the team "has learned" from those experiences.
St. Peter, meanwhile, addressed the need to improve overall as an organization, noting "part of that is that is our ongoing search for new leadership within our baseball operation."
The Twins this season had between 13,000 and 14,000 full season ticket equivalencies — about 1,000 more than last year. They are in danger of losing those customers they gained (and then some) after their fifth 90-loss season in the last six years.
