Article: Monday Minor League Report

[Seth Stohs]

FORT MYERS, Fla. - On Monday, the Minnesota Twins sent a team across the state to Jupiter to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Before they left, Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan informed more players that they were heading to minor league camp.

It was pretty quiet by Hammond Stadium, but things are really cranking up on the minor league side of the complex. Minor league action is in full form. Today, I wanted to post a bunch of minor league notes from the day.The squads started their day with their morning routine. They get to the field around 9:30 to stretch. Then there is baserunning, throwing, ground balls, fly balls, PFPs, pickoff plays, situational plays, all the stuff from a normal baseball practice.

 

They had lunch, but at noon, Work Group 4 (the guys who will most likely be sticking in Ft. Myers for Extended Spring Training) took on Bethel University. The Minnesota college in St. Paul has played five games previously in Florida the last few days and will play a few more. But, it’s a good challenge for both teams.

 

The head coach of the Bethel team is New Ulm native, former Gopher, and former Minnesota Twins player Brian Raabe. For his team, it is an opportunity to play against some really good, talented players. However that talent is very raw, and they have only been practicing officially for the last four or five days together.

 

As the game was starting, Tom Kelly walked slowly across the field, fungo in tow, and watched the first inning while talking to Raabe. I noted several times that even as pitches were being made, his back was to the batter, and they were standing outside the dugout.

 

 

 

For the young Twins players, it’s a chance to play a team of 19-22 year olds who have been practicing for at least six weeks together. It’s also playing against someone other than yourselves.

 

The EST Twins scored four runs over the last couple of innings to take a 7-4 win, but again, that is the least important part of the game.

 

As has been mentioned many times, Tom Kelly and his fungo love to teach the fundamentals of the game. After catching up with Raabe, Kelly took 2015 draft pick Kolton Kendrick to a side field and worked with him on some things around first base.

 

 

I looked back 45 minutes later… still instructing…

 

 

Awhile later, Kendrick got into the game at first base… and Kelly was right there with him.

 

 

That’s not an unusual happening at Twins minor league camp. When Kelly comes down from the big league side, he’s got his fungo and he takes time with players whenever he sees a coachable moment.

 

At 1:00, Work Group 1 - which is currently comprised of players who will start 2016 in AAA or AA but will change as players move down from big league camp - played Work Group 2 (comprised of AA and Hi-A players) on the next field. The next field pitted Work Group 3 (comprised of Hi-A and Low-A players) against Work Group 4 (Low-A and some Extended Spring players).

 

A lot of pitchers threw between the two games. Most worked just one inning, but three guys who will be starters also pitched. Stephen Gonsalves, Randy LeBlanc and David Hurlbut all threw 60 pitches, getting through four innings. Someone with direct knowledge told me that the starters will throw 60 pitches this time out. In their next outing, they’ll try to get to 75 pitches. Then 95 pitches. Then they’ll drop back to 75 pitches and be ready to roll for Opening Day.

 

From watching Gonsalves, it is clear that adding a slider this offseason could be great for him. It can be death to left-handed hitters.

 

It’s interesting as the Twins pitchers are just completing their third time through the spring rotation. They were to get 60 pitches in. In their fourth start, the goal will be 75 pitches. So, minor league starters aren’t given a lot of time to build arm strength.

 

There were a couple of scary moments on the day. Early in one game, Levi Michael lined a ball right back at David Hurlbut. The left hander was fortunately able to get his glove up just in time and was unscathed.

 

Infielder Tanner Vavra was facing Alex Wimmers later in the game. A pitch got away from Wimmers and hit Vavra right in the helmet. Vavra went down, but as people were trying to help him, he jumped up. He went to first base under his own power. He soon came out of the game and had to go through concussion protocols. Fortunately, he is all right and the tests came back fine.

 

The next batter, Logan Wade, crushed a pitch well beyond the right field fence.

 

Mike Berardino had the nugget on Twitter on Sunday about Levi Michael giving up left-handed hitting. He will only bat right-handed at this point. That’s what he did on Monday.

 

Some Other Notes

 

I chatted with Niko Goodrum for a little while before lunch. He definitely looks bigger and stronger. I asked him about Elite Metro Sports and Cages. It is a place in his home town of Fayetteville, Georgia.

 

Goodrum wanted a way to give back in his community and thought that having a training facility for youth in his city was a good idea. He told me that he really didn’t have anything like that when he was growing up. Throughout the offseason, Niko worked with hundreds of kids of all ages in the cages, but also on all aspects of the game. They held several clinics. His uncles Donell and Otis Nixon came and helped at some base stealing clinics as well. His cousin, a third former big leaguer in the family, also has been a big influence on Goodrum. Niko said that he just really enjoys working with the kids.

 

To be a good teacher, it helps to be a good learner. Here Goodrum is taking some instruction from former big leaguer (and GCL hitting coach) Javier Valentin.

 

 

 

I chatted with Lewis Thorpe a little bit before lunch as well. He had thrown a bullpen that morning and said it felt really good. He feels like he is back to normal but he knows they will be patient with him in his return. It’s clear that he’s been working hard this spring. He has lost a lot of weight that had been gained throughout the injury. He expects that he’ll start throwing more and getting into a routine before joining a team later this spring. They’ll build up his in-game pitch count in the same way that others do in spring training, but just at a little slower pace.

 

While Thorpe has lost some weight, there are a few guys who gained weight. We’ve already discussed that Nick Gordon has added 15 pounds in the offseason. In chatting with Mike Radcliff, he noted that it’s almost even more. He had been sick and lost a bit of weight so the fact that he’s gained 14 is encouraging.

 

Ryan Walker missed time early last season with an injury. The gifted-defensive middle infielder has always been skinny and has tried to add weight. However, he often loses some during the season. He came to Twins spring training last year at about 170 pounds but by the end of the season, he was at closer to 160 pounds. He worked really hard in the offseason and is now sitting between 180 and 185 pounds and hopes to maintain it through the season. He may start the season in Chattanooga, but could return to Ft. Myers for some of the season depending upon the rosters above.

 

The 12 players that were sent down from big league camp did not participate in the games on Monday. 40-man roster guys actually have the right to take a couple of days off after the are optioned. My guess is that they will be at practice today. Teams can expect non-roster guys to go straight to minor league camp. My guess is that the Twins (Terry Ryan) encouraged them to take Monday off.

 

The Twins big league club has their one scheduled day off of the spring. They’re there for six to seven weeks officially and get just one day off, so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.

Not me though. I’ll be again spending the day at minor league camp. I did take about 400 pictures yesterday. We’ll see how many turned out. I’ll take more today and get to editing tonight. Again pictures taken here in Ft. Myers will be used throughout the season in Minor League reports. Some of them will be posted to the Twins Daily Facebook Page, the Twins Daily Twitter account, and I’ll also post some on my Twitter account. So, click those links, follow us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook.

 

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[Mike Sixel]

Love these, thanks Seth.

[Blake]

Very interesting.

 

I still find it amazing that Mr. Kelly spends that much time with minor league players.

 

 

[benji21]

Would somebody explain to me why a college team can score four off of pro players? It is always so surprising to me to see that. I realize that they're young EST players but thay are also the most elite that high school and college has to offer with a season or more of pro ball and training.

Would they score similarily off of the higher level squads?

[Steve Lein]

 

Would somebody explain to me why a college team can score four off of pro players? It is always so surprising to me to see that. I realize that they're young EST players but thay are also the most elite that high school and college has to offer with a season or more of pro ball and training.
Would they score similarily off of the higher level squads?

 

Honestly I think I've seen the college teams beat the Twins low-minors rosters more often than not while I've been down there. As Seth points out, they've been practicing and playing for almost two months already, while the Twins players have been for just a few days.

 

Also, while the college guys are out there competing 100% for some bragging rights against the 'pros,' those minor leaguer's might be working on certain things this early. I'd venture the pitchers were throwing a much higher percentage of fastballs than normal, as an example.

[catch34]

Nice to meet you last Sunday and thanks for doing this Seth, so much different than the pre-blog days!  Nice to have a head start on seeing this year's Cedar Rapids team.

[blindeke]

"I noted several times that even as pitches were being made, his back was to the batter, and they were standing outside the dugout."

 

So this is bad, then? Seems like a ball could do some damage if he wasn't looking. Kinda like the selfie people in the box seats.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Would somebody explain to me why a college team can score four off of pro players? It is always so surprising to me to see that. I realize that they're young EST players but thay are also the most elite that high school and college has to offer with a season or more of pro ball and training.

Would they score similarily off of the higher level squads?

The other guys are on scholarship, too. If it wasn't at least somewhat competitive why bother?

[LimestoneBaggy]

Check out the chops on the tall Bethel player leaning on the dugout fence in the background...how did that guy's facial hair not get drafted?

[ExpectMorePayLess]

Bethel is not a scholarship school BTW

[Halsey Hall]

 

Would somebody explain to me why a college team can score four off of pro players? It is always so surprising to me to see that. I realize that they're young EST players but thay are also the most elite that high school and college has to offer with a season or more of pro ball and training.
Would they score similarily off of the higher level squads?

Walks. The first pitcher got lifted after filling the bases, and the reliever walked the first 2 he faced.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Very interesting.

 

I still find it amazing that Mr. Kelly spends that much time with minor league players.

 

Today, he was down there most of the time that the two teams were playing. In fact, lots were. Terry Ryan, Mike Radcliff, Rob Antony and others not only watched Berrios, Santana and Darnell but stayed throughout the minor league games. 

 

All were approachable, but Kelly was terrific, taking pictures with a lot of people.

 

In fact, much of the coaching staff was there too. Joe Vavra was watching Trey (who had a double and a long home run off of Ervin Santana). Tanner didn't play as a precautionary measure after getting hit in the head yesterday. He said he feels just fine. Joe told me that they did a scan of his head and found nothing, so it was just normal. Pretty funny. Butch Davis stopped by for a bit. Tom Brunansky was there for a little while. I saw him talking to Steve Singleton. Even Kent Hrbek was there. He was filming a commercial (presumably for Carrier?) in front of the stadium this morning. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Would somebody explain to me why a college team can score four off of pro players? It is always so surprising to me to see that. I realize that they're young EST players but thay are also the most elite that high school and college has to offer with a season or more of pro ball and training.
Would they score similarily off of the higher level squads?

 

The kids on the EST team are really young. The starting infield was Cabbage, Munoz, Montesino and Molina. Eduardo Del Rosario started and was very wild. 

 

Bethel is a solid college team with plenty of 20-22 year olds. They've been practicing as a team officially for 7-8 weeks already, and probably working out together since January. The EST guys started officially practicing together 5 days earlier. Pitchers were wild. Defense wasn't great. 

 

I talked to a coach from the Twins side and they thought it was a game they would probably lose for those reasons. If it was based solely on talent, sure, the pro guys would win. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Nice to meet you last Sunday and thanks for doing this Seth, so much different than the pre-blog days!  Nice to have a head start on seeing this year's Cedar Rapids team.

 

Nice meeting you too... It's been fun talking to so many TD readers this week!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Walks. The first pitcher got lifted after filling the bases, and the reliever walked the first 2 he faced.

 

Yeah, that was really hard to watch. Ha!