To the editor:
Has it occurred to you that the demise of the Minnesota Twins started in mid-summer when management gave Joe Mauer a long term contract calling for 23 million dollars salary PER YEAR? And that on top of the $14 million per year given to Morneau? That $37 million for two is more than the entire team payroll not too many years ago.
No wonder the rest of the team has played disheartedly since mid-summer. How would you feel if you played hard and performed as well or better than those two - but received only a fraction of the salary?
One would think that giving almost $5 million per year to five quality free agents would do more for the team than one over-paid star.
Those big salaries given to a select few also reflected in the inability to keep bullpen stalwarts such as Crain and Guerrier. The Twins allowed those free agents to leave and risked this season on a cheapie bullpen staff. You have seen the results.
One also should question the physical conditioning of the players. There are far too many nuisance injuries to far too many players. Mauer looks up to chase of pop fly foul ball; he strains his neck and is out for a week.
Management - on and off the field - is responsible directly for the disastrous season.
Don Brand
New Ulm