Article: Report From The Fort: Gibson Starts, Vogelsong Departs

[John Bonnes]

A Triple-A slugfest broke out in the late innings of the Twins 9-5 loss to the Phillies, but the first half of the game was more palatable. It provided a couple of tastes of the upcoming season and we learned of a departure after the game.Gibson Steady

Twins starting pitcher Kyle Gibson was efficient, which is sometimes code for “not overpowering”, but I mean it in a good way. He was not overpowering, but he mostly controlled the at-bats frequently dictating the counts to the batters. He faced a little adversity in the first inning when, with no outs and a runner on first base, Max Kepler had a pair of gaffes on a single play that added a runner to second base. But a strikeout helped Gibson get out of that jam and coast through the next two innings on just 18 pitches.

 

The middle of the Phillies order made him work a bit more in the fourth inning, but a double play brought that inning to a merciful end. He pretty clearly tired in the fifth, but Jorge Polanco ranging for a ground ball deep into the hole and making a strong enough throw to first base got him through his planned innings and pitches.

 

Not bad for a guy who is trying to rework his delivery to better improve his health. “It’s getting there,” he said after the game. “I’m still doing stuff in between starts and and before I play catch to try and keep ingraining it in my mind a little bit, but it’s getting there.”

 

A five inning outing in spring training with includes two strikeouts is hardly the stuff of which dreams are made, but it helps quell some of the nightmares of last season. And with three other members of the rotation still not back from the WBC, it demonstrates a little stability in an evolving situation.

 

Polanco’s Throw

The play by Jorge Polanco was nice to see. Unlike Buxton’s catch yesterday, this was not a “I can’t believe my eyes” moment. Rather, it was a play that stretches an average shortstop, and potentially stretches a shortstop with Polanco’s arm too far. It didn’t, and just barely. He ranged far to his right, gloved the ball in the hole and relied on a quick release and a one-hop catch by Joe Mauer to beat the runner to the bag.

 

It showed Polanco’s strengths - his range and quickness - as well as his biggest weakness: his average arm strength. It also likely showed us the edge of what we can expect, but that border looked far enough, provided the consistency is there.

 

Kepler’s Defense

On the other hand, that first inning misplay by Max Kepler was reminiscent of some of the baffling miscues we saw in Target Field last year. Kepler came up short on a shallow fly ball, but the runner on first base didn’t recognize that there was going to be an issue, so a force out at second base was still available. But Kepler panicked and rushed a bad throw to second base that pulled Polanco off the bag, so everyone was safe.

 

Yesterday Molitor talked a little about how he has been treating the infield as a unit so they get used to each other defensively. It’s worth noting that it appears he has been doing the same with Byron Buxton and Kepler. Since March 4th, they’ve started 10 games together and in the other seven games, neither has played without the other. While it’s certainly less important for outfielders to work together defensively than infielders, it appears the Twins are trying to proactively smooth over some of last year’s gaffes.

 

Roster Moves

After a discussion with the Twins this morning, Ryan Vogelsong asked for his release and the Twins are going to grant it. “I can’t say enough about what he brought to the camp,” said Twins Manager Paul Molitor. “I’ve had multiple players come in here and tell me that being around him and [Matt] Belisle for some of those people made their camp. He did a lot of good things here. We felt that right now we had a few people in front of him in terms of that rotation situation.”

 

Vogelsong had an opt-out in his contract which he could exercise later in camp, but with players returning from the WBC, the Twins weren’t going to be able to provide him any more opportunities to start this spring. Leaving the team now, everyone hopes, gives him a better chance to catch on with a another club as a pitcher.

 

The Twins also sent Raul Fernandez and Jake Reed down to the minor league camp.

 

Tomorrow’s Game

If you’re a Twins fan in West Palm Beach and excited to see your team tomorrow, you might want to adjust expectations a bit. The Twins are in the midst of a stretch that includes three of their longest road trips of the spring crammed into four days. As such, a lot of the starting position players are staying behind to practice in Fort Myers, though Phil Hughes will be making the three-hour bus trip to get in his scheduled start.

 

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[Deduno Abides]

Best of luck to Ryan Vogelsong. Maybe the White Sox could use a starter.

[Squirrel]

I really don't understand how Kepler's play was not an error, or even possibly two. I guess they didn't rule the missed catch an error because it was 'difficult' to begin with. And I guess that throw wasn't an error because the runner didn't advance, but there was a lot amiss with that.

[ThejacKmp]

Thus ends TD's lamentation of the "Vogelsong will start because he's a vet" dirge. 

[mikelink45]

As one who hoped not to have Vogelsong on the roster I am happy, but the pitching of Chargois is starting to get alarming.  He is 27, he has a good arm, but his outings are looking very poor and I am sorry to see this.  This is the ST that he should have been impressing.  Boshers is also looking like he lost the sparkle that got him through last year.  

[adorduan]

Is anyone else getting a little nervous about Kepler in the outfield?  He had some pretty iffy moments last year and a couple this spring.....

[Deduno Abides]

Kepler: we criticize management for not being willing to let young players take their lumps, but then when they actually commit mistakes people get all "Oh, I don't know if he's going to make it." See also Sano, Buxton, Berrios, Polanco and especially Rosario. We need to develop better comfort with physical and mental errors by people early in their careers.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Good luck to Ryan Vogelsong.

[Han Joelo]

Good luck to Vogelsong.  Getting old is hell.  Sometimes the "veteran leadership" comes in the form of saying, "don't blink boys, this will all be over quicker than you imagine.  Make the most of your shot."

 

I have to admit, I kind of felt like I was getting gaslighted by the people lamenting his "inevitable" inclusion on the roster.  I never thought he had much of a chance, but after a few hundred such comments, I, too thought he was making it.  Seems like a classy dude.  The ol' number 4 starter, still hanging around, while Lincecum is gone and Cain is diminished.  

 

Seems like the type of guy you want to bring to camp, even when (or maybe because) the odds are so far against him.

[bird]

Vogelsong never was better than #10 on the depth chart. Slegers just moved up a spot.

[Blackjack]

John, thanks for the good report!!

[Dantes929]

If Polanco's arm strength is average and it is his biggest weakness then that would make him an above average shortstop.    I think I am missing something here.  If he ends up average defensively at shortstop I will be happy.   I think average is underrated (on average).

[DocBauer]

Well...at least the pitchforks are sharpened for farm work, eh boys?

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

Good luck to Vogelsong.  Getting old is hell.  Sometimes the "veteran leadership" comes in the form of saying, "don't blink boys, this will all be over quicker than you imagine.  Make the most of your shot."

 

I have to admit, I kind of felt like I was getting gaslighted by the people lamenting his "inevitable" inclusion on the roster.  I never thought he had much of a chance, but after a few hundred such comments, I, too thought he was making it.  Seems like a classy dude.  The ol' number 4 starter, still hanging around, while Lincecum is gone and Cain is diminished.  

 

Seems like the type of guy you want to bring to camp, even when (or maybe because) the odds are so far against him.

 

As a whole (and I feel comfortable speaking for the whole here) we've seen quite a few marginal (sub-marginal?) veterans make the team in the past couple years. I thought for sure Vogelsong was making this team....maybe this is a positive change for a new management.

[Dave The Dastardly]

Vogelsong's demise, though feared by many experienced Twins fans as something that would not take place until July or later, was inevitable. The Twinkies are the only major league team that has always sought messiahs in the old folks home. Or the morgue. Sometimes bystanders have to let the hopeful jockey know he's riding a dead horse.

[drjim]

 

Vogelsong's demise, though feared by many experienced Twins fans as something that would not take place until July or later, was inevitable. The Twinkies are the only major league team that has always sought messiahs in the old folks home. Or the morgue. Sometimes bystanders have to let the hopeful jockey know he's riding a dead horse.

 

"The only major league team"

[puckstopper1]

I liked that the Twins brought him in for a look (no risk).  

I like the fact that he provided some mentoring to the younglings (flashing those World Series rings lends to his credibility)

I REALLY like that they let him go when it was determined he could not help the team.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

If Polanco's arm strength is average and it is his biggest weakness then that would make him an above average shortstop.    I think I am missing something here.  If he ends up average defensively at shortstop I will be happy.   I think average is underrated (on average).

From what I've seen, consistency is his biggest weakness, which may or may not be considered a "skill" in the traditional sense John was speaking.

 

Polanco has the tools to play short - they're marginal but he could probably do it - but there's more to being an MLB shortstop than pure athleticism. One needs an outstanding toolset (which Polanco doesn't have) to overcome any deficiency in consistency.

 

And that's not a rare problem to have, it keeps loads of toolsy guys off short in MLB.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Is anyone else getting a little nervous about Kepler in the outfield?  He had some pretty iffy moments last year and a couple this spring.....

 

I'd hope not. He's pretty solid out there. They all have their moments. I saw Buxton drop a routine fly ball while I was in Ft. Myers. 

 

No worries, no need for alarm.

[Thegrin]

I'm glad Vogelsong is gone before I had to learn how to spell and pronounce his name.  

[Richie the Rally Goat]

From what I've seen, consistency is his biggest weakness, which may or may not be considered a "skill" in the traditional sense John was speaking.

 

Polanco has the tools to play short - they're marginal but he could probably do it - but there's more to being an MLB shortstop than pure athleticism. One needs an outstanding toolset (which Polanco doesn't have) to overcome any deficiency in consistency.

 

And that's not a rare problem to have, it keeps loads of toolsy guys off short in MLB.

it seems like a better arm would allow Polanco to play deeper in the hole to take better advantage of his range, which would i turn give him a little more slack. He seemed to play up so far that there was no margin for error. Tough to live on the razor's edge. Is he still playing up along the base path this spring?

[Riverbrian]

I think there are some important things for Polanco to work on. Footwork primarily to increase the accuracy of throws... but Arm Strength?

 

I'm not buying it.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/7417714/v706450083/mindet-polanco-makes-great-diving-stop-for-the-out

 

 

It took an arm to make this play... he could do it again.