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The Hanging SL

A blog by Steve Lein in Twins Daily

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About this blog

I love baseball, beer, bacon, bs-ing, black labs, and brunch. MiLB Report contributor for @TwinsDaily and enjoy watching hanging sliders fly out of Target Field.

Entries in this blog

The Next Minnesota Twins - 2018

The first time I remember watching Minor League Baseball was when I was 11 years old on vacation to visit family living in Appleton, Wisconsin. At the time, the city was home to a Midwest League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the Appleton Foxes. That season, they had a player who went on to become one of the greatest and most hated baseball players the game has ever seen—a wiry shortstop by the name of Alex Rodriguez who would make his Major League debut at just 18 years old later that same

Twins Minor League Report (6/6): Turley Blows RailRiders Away

In the minors on Tuesday there were a few shortstop prospects who collected hits in bunches, including a near-cycle, but they couldn’t quite match the effort of a starter called up to AAA earlier in the day. He did something not many pitchers could say they’ve done over the first three innings, along with setting a career high for K’s on the game. Bad weather in Florida also wreaked havoc on the Miracle’s attempt at a mid-week series.   To find out who made the headlines on 2-1 night in the syst

The Next Twins - 2017

Top prospects lists have always one of the most fun things to read in the baseball offseason for me. Whether that’s by checking out the 2017 Prospect Handbook by Twins Daily’s own Seth Stohs and company, the great prospect capsules that are written on this site, or checking out any of the litany of lists available elsewhere, I can’t ever get enough. But because there are so many resources for this type of information, I like to take a little bit of a different look at prospects coming into a new

AFL Recap - week 6: Surprise Plays For AFL Championship

The Surprise Saguaros headed into the final day of the AFL season needing to win their game with the Salt River Rafters to clinch a spot in the AFL Championship game, and were able to do so with contributions from four of the Twins players.   Stephen Gonsalves punctuated his shortened time in the AFL with a six strikeout effort in his start on Tuesday, Nick Gordon finished the year near the top of several statistical categories, and a couple of the bullpen arms closed out their showings with goo

AFL Recap - Week 5: Hitters and Bullpen Shine

(Author Note: Apologies on the late report again this week, but it’s still hunting season)   Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped their team to a 4-2 record in Week 5, and their (current) record of 16-13 overall is tops in the West Division. On the position player front, Nick Gordon continued looking like a legitimate leadoff man, Mitch Garver stood out defensively, and Tanner English continued to pose as a piranha at the end of the Surprise Saguaros lineup. On the pitching

AFL Recap - Week 4: Gonsalves Returns to Action

Author Note: Apologies on the late report this week, but it’s hunting season! q:-)   The Surprise Saguaros went 3-2 in the fourth week of the AFL season, and all of the Twins prospects were back in action on the week as Stephen Gonsalves made his return to the starting rotation after sitting out with a sore back.   Their squad was also no-hit in one of those losses on the week, but we can take solace in the fact that none of the Twins players contributed to that effort!   To see how each of th

AFL Recap - Week 3: Garver Powers Saguaros

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas.   Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the pa

AFL Recap - Week 2: Quiet Week From Hitters

Week Two of the AFL season saw the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3, with Twins prospects faring quite a bit quieter than the first week.   The three hitters managed just four hits between them after collecting fourteen in week one, and their prized pitching prospect unexpectedly got the week off for unknown reasons.   That doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action between them in their teams six games, so read on to find out what happened with each player on the week.   (links provided to each player’

AFL Recap - Week 1: Gordon and Garver Come Out Hitting

Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League are playing for the Surprise Saguaros this season, and they started off in week one with two wins, two losses…and an extra-innings-tie. Both victories were of the blowout variety, and they also experienced a blowout loss among those games.   Two of the Twins position prospects had big weeks with their bats, and sit near the top of AFL leaderboards in several categories after five total games. Stephen Gonsalves passed his first test with flying colors, w

Arizona Fall League Preview: Gonsalves and Gordon Highlight Twins Contingent

While the Minnesota Twins aren’t playing any October baseball for the sixth consecutive season, that doesn’t mean there isn’t baseball to pay attention to when it comes to your favorite team. The fall and winter seasons are full of other leagues both well-known and obscure where many of your favorite Major League players or prospects might be playing. You just have to know where to look for them.   The most well-known of these leagues, is played during the months of October and November in the d

Twins Minor League Report (8/23): Wheeler Dominates, Kennys Hit Ball Far

It was a low-scoring night throughout the system Tuesday, but that means there were several good pitching performances for the Twins affiliates. As an organization, they combined for just 19 runs (2.7 per game) on the day, but because of those performance went 5-2 on the day in the minor leagues.   To see which other starting pitchers came through besides the dominating effort from lefty Jason Wheeler at AAA, keep reading!   RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Norfolk 0 Box Score   Rochester’s offense

Twins Minor League Report (8/21): Strong Pitching Comes Up Short

The Twins minor league affiliates got (nearly) eight full innings of pitching from each of their starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, but just one of those starters ended the day with a notch in the win column. That was thanks to a lackluster display of offense throughout as two of the lineups were shut out, and the other two totaled just four runs on the day.   In Transaction news, the Minnesota Twins optioned one-day callup Adalberto Mejia back to Rochester after his 2.1 inning MLB debut on

Twins Minor League Report (8/14): Plenty of Hits in AA and A+

In the minors on Sunday, the offenses of the Chattanooga Lookouts and Fort Myers Miracle combined for nineteen runs and twenty six hits on the day. One team pulled away late, and the other was forced to make a comeback. Would they be able to complete it?   There was also some roster shuffling in AAA and AA due to Rochester’s postponement from Saturday. Andrew Albers was optioned back to AAA in addition to David Hurlbut’s promotion yesterday, and Luke Bard was promoted to Chattanooga so they’d ea

Twins Minor League Report (8/11): Gonsalves Aces Barons

As you will find out reading the rest of this report, I don’t have to say much more in this opening other than pitching was fantastic on this night throughout the Twins’ affiliates after the clunkers the MLB team put on display in their double-header.   They were 6-0 on the day (7-0 if I include the DSL), and you can check out all the standout pitching performances, including Stephen Gonsalves achieving “Ace” status by taking down his fifth Southern League opponent in the Birmingham (Red) Barons

Twins Minor League Report (7/31): Wade's Power Not Enough For Miracle

As the Minnesota Twins played an afternoon game with potential trade commodity Ervin Santana on the mound against the White Sox, there were five games being played in the minor leagues by their affiliates on Sunday.   LaMonte Wade had a big game for the Fort Myers Miracle, but it wasn’t enough for his team to come out on top. Rain also affected multiple games on the day, with one being postponed and the other being called complete in the top of the sixth. Who got to play, and would anyone challe

Twins Minor League Report (7/24): Kirilloff Keeps Hitting

The Minnesota Twins were unable to complete their comeback against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, but there were still five other games to be played in the minor leagues for the organization.   Lefthander Stephen Gonsalves was on the mound for the Lookouts, and put zeroes on the board for the first five innings of a game that went into extras. How did he and Chattanooga finish? Rochester got little offense and Elizabethton traded blows with their Appalachian League rival, Johnson City.

Twins Minor League Report (7/17): Berrios Stems the Tides

In the minor leagues on Sunday there were several standout performances on both the pitching side and the hitting side as Minnesota Twins affiliates went 4-1 on the day. Top pitchers were on the mound for Chattanooga and Fort Myers, but they wouldn’t quite compare to the TOP pitcher on the mound Sunday afternoon for Rochester. Elizabethton’s offense unloaded on opposing pitching and there were big RBI efforts in nearly every game.   To see who did what and where on Sunday, keep reading!   RED WI

Twins Minor League Report (7/10): Tyler Jay Makes AA Debut

In the Minor Leagues on Sunday afternoon for the Twins, one affiliate pounded out fourteen hits and scored nine runs, but ended up losing in a slugfest. Another got all the runs they would need in a victory in one inning. In Chattanooga, a top prospect and 2016 performer was on the mound for his AA debut. How would it go?   To find out how it all went down in the minors on Sunday, keep reading!   RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2 Box Score   Rochester got all the offense they

Twins Minor League Report (7/8): Tough Losses

All six of the Minnesota Twins’ Minor League affiliates were scheduled for action on Friday, though only five of them would play their games. It was a tough day however, as only the Gulf Coast League Twins were able to pick up a victory, and two other teams lost despite allowing only three runs combined to opposing teams.   Daniel Palka did something noteworthy (because it wasn’t hitting a home run), Jose Berrios and Kohl Stewart were on the mound at AAA and AA, and the five teams combined for e

Twins Minor League Report (6/26): Appalachian League Slugfest

Five of the Twins affiliates were in action on Sunday, as the post-draft minor league seasons get into full swing with the Rookie Leagues added to the slate.   One of those Rookie League teams continued their early season roll with a slugfest against their arch rival. Trevor May joined Miguel Sano at AAA in a rehab assignment with Rochester. Chattanooga got eight strong innings from their starting pitcher and another home run from a guy who keeps being showcased in these reports. Cedar Rapids us

Twins Minor League Report (6/19): Rochester's Big Inning Backs Greenwood

Happy Father’s Day across Twins territory, including Rochester, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Fort Myers, FL; and Cedar Rapids, IA! If you were out at a ballpark today, I hope you stayed hydrated! There were three games in the minor leagues on Sunday afternoon, with those teams looking to bring home a victory just like their parent club did against the Yankees.   One team got most of their offense in just one inning, while the other two teams scored first and tried to hold on. Did any of them do enough t

Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Palka Doing Palka Things

Max Kepler officially made his presence felt in a Twins uniform on Sunday afternoon, giving the home team a walk-off victory with his first career home run, a three run shot in the tenth inning to give Minnesota a 7-4 victory. Too many more, Max! Prost!   In the minors on Sunday, one hitter continued his impressive display of power and a top prospect made the start in Fort Myers, but would they do enough to help their teams to victory?   Before we get to the games however, it was announced this

Twins Minor League Report (6/5): Gibson Rehabs In Rochester

In the Minor Leagues on Sunday, all four of the Twins’ full season affiliates were in action including Kyle Gibson on the mound in Rochester looking to come out healthy before rejoining Minnesota’s rotation.   In the other games, one pitching staff vied for a no-hitter (could they complete it?), a manager was thrown out in the first inning, and big innings early and late led to another’s demise.   To find out how it all went down in the minors on Sunday, Read on!   RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8,

Twins Minor League Report (5/29): Down Early, Kernels' Wiel Pops Late In Comeback Victory

While in the Majors on Sunday the Twins were completing a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners behind the bats of Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano, who combined for six home runs in the series, in the minors there was another powerful swing of the bat that contributed to a huge come from behind victory.     Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Zander Wiel)  All four affiliates were in action, and to find out how all of them fared on Sunday, keep reading!     RED WINGS REPORT Charlotte 3, Roches

Twins Minor League Report (5/15): Miracle Power Backs Gonsalves

Tyler Duffey was pretty good for the Twins again on Sunday afternoon as the parent club won their second straight game against the Cleveland Indians. In the minors on Sunday, one game was postponed, a lefty top-prospect took to the mound in Florida, was outdone by a lefty newcomer to the system in another game, and one team struggled to collect any hits for most of the day, even though they took the no-hitter off the table early.   To find out who did what and where on Sunday, read on!   RED WIN

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