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Article: Report From The Fort: Twins Shut Out, Gibson, Collins Pitch Well

Seth Stohs
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Seth Stohs GOAT

Seth Stohs

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On Monday afternoon, Ron Gardenhire rode his motorcycle down from Lakeland and then led his Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 win against his old team, the Twins.

 

Notes on Tim Collins, Nick Gordon, Luis Arraez, the missed foul ball and much, much more.In a nice moment, Toby Gardenhire, the Ft. Myers Miracle manager, walked out to exchange the lineup card with Twins Hall of Famer Rod Carew. There to meet them, along with the umpires, was his father, Ron Gardenhire. Toby Gardenhire spent some time with the Twins as an extra coach in September and the Twins did the same thing then.

 

 

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Kyle Gibson looked good on Monday. He worked three scoreless innings, and he had to work himself out of a little trouble in that third inning. Three straight singles loaded the bases, but after a Wes Johnson mound visit, Gibson really bore down.

 

 

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Gibson said, “You want to work on stuff and you want to use all your pitches, but today was a day that I probably should have just thrown more fastballs. All three of those hits in the third inning were on offspeed pitches and not that they were necessarily bad pitches all the time but I mean just probably could have just challenged them a little bit more and used the fastball a little bit more but that’s why it’s spring training.”

 

He got Jeimer Candelario to ground into a three-two-three double play (first base to catcher and back to first base).

 

But the danger was far from over. Miguel Cabrera stepped to the plate. Gibson struck out the future Hall of Famer in the first inning, but this time Gibson fell behind 3-0. He came back and struck out Cabrera again to end the inning.

 

While often pitchers have certain goals in mind and things to work on in spring training, there was value in being able to work out of a tough situation too.

 

Following the game, Rocco Baldelli noted, “It all matters. When we’re out there and it doesn’t matter what kind of games we’re talking about, he’s very competitive and was not going to just give in and let the at-bat go. Instead of just throwing a breaking ball in the dirt and be done with it, he refused to let that at-bat end.He kept battling and competing, and that’s nice to see. It doesn’t matter that it’s a spring training game for me.”

 

Always humble, Gibson noted that it was just about working a game-situation in March so that he is ready for it when it presents itself in the season. “Once you get to this point, the hitters are treating it like they’re trying to get at-bats and for me I’m still looking at sequences and trying to see what the hitters’ approach is and I try to read what they’re trying to do. Spring training’s a little bit harder. Miggy’s probably not quite in midseason form trying to do this or trying to do that in certain at-bats. He’s really just seeing pitches but you try to attack it like it’s a game and focus on the sequences that you’re doing so when it comes end of March, beginning of April, you’re in that kind of mode where you don’t have to flip a switch and get into game mode.”

 

Gibson said that the plan was to throw 60 pitches and he finished at 53.

 

As Gibson’s post-outing press conference came to a conclusion, the Twins game was on the TVs in the clubhouse. Taylor Rogers gave up three runs in the fourth inning. Gibson joked, “Those are probably the first runs he’s given up since May.”

 

And, at the end, those were the only runs of the game. The Tigers won 3-0.

 

 

GAME NOTES AND QUOTES

 

Lefty Tim Collins came on to pitch the seventh inning for the Twins. The non-roster invite struck out all three batters he faced. He has been impressive to his manager.

 

Baldelli said, “he looks healthy to me. He's thrown the ball well. He's missed a lot of bats. That's one thing that is impressive and it's something that you do want to see. You bring a guy in from the bullpen with his good breaking ball and good riding fastball, and that's what you want to see. You want to see bats missed, and that's exactly what he's done,”

 

In the bottom of the third innings, infielder Ehire Adrianza lined a solid single to center. As he reached first base, he and Miguel Cabrera embraced. They are both from Venezuela and are friends.

 

Soon after, Tyson Ross threw over to first base to try to pick off Adrianza. There wasn’t really a play. Cabrera faked throwing back to the mound as Adrianza stood up. Cabrera, still holding the ball in his glove, tagged Adrianza for the out. The ol’ Hidden Ball Trick.

 

Rocco Baldelli was asked about it after the game and chuckled. “ It happens. It happens. Miggy has been working on that play for about 15 years and he’s getting pretty good at it so it happens.”

 

And MLB’s official twitter feed had the video up quickly...

 

 

Baldelli continued, “Truthfully being a spring training game, it’s probably a lot easier to take and smile about. Again, I’m not going to say I was smiling but I might have smirked.”

 

Trevor May struggled in his inning of work. He needed a lot of pitches and issued two walks to go with a strikeout. That was the only out he recorded before Baldelli came and took him out of the game. DJ Baxendale came in and issued a walk on a close pitch to load the bases. However, he got a hard-hit grounder right at second baseman Luis Arraez who tossed to Nick Gordon at second who completed the double play with a strong throw to first base to get out of the inning. Arraez and Gordon teamed for another inning-ending double play an inning later.

 

Arraez’s defense has always been a question mark. But while he has played mostly second base in his career, he has played some third base too in spring training and held his own.

 

Nick Gordon showed a strong arm. At the plate, he also showed some serious strength when he drilled a line drive off the wall just to the left of center field for a triple.

 

Baldelli noted, “He hit that ball really well. I mean it’s a pretty big yard out there and for a guy, he’s a wiry, strong guy and it shows us, again I haven’t had too many at-bats with him, but it’s a good glimpse at what’s in there.”

 

Asked about the weight and strength, Baldelli pointed out, “I don’t really worry, I don’t check the scale. The actual weight doesn’t matter. I think it’s more of a strength discussion and an endurance discussion but he’s plenty strong. The thing is, he’s plenty strong enough. He’s a strong guy. You shake his hand, it’s there. We saw it today. It’s there and it’s inside him. I think it’s more along the lines of putting a entire complete season because he’s shown for periods of time that he can do it at a high level.”

 

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Baldelli noted that he had seen Gordon play going way back to his high school days in Orlando.

 

And finally, yes, there is this…

 

 

LaMonte Wade hit a foul ball. I didn’t think it would get here, and it barely did. I was afraid it would hit my laptop, so I jumped up and lunged forward. I got a finger on it, and it dropped into the crowd below. And yes, my finger hurts. The catch probability on that ball, however, was only 3.2% so just getting a piece of it was pretty impressive if you ask me.

 

Following the game, in the clubhouse, Tommy Watkins found me and asked me why I didn’t catch the ball and if my finger was OK. Ah yes, good times.

 

In my defense, I was multi-tasking. I was editing the thousand or so pictures that I have taken in the first two days here in Ft. Myers. And I was working with FSN’s Audra Martin on finding the perfect shot or her. We think we found it.

 

 

Feel free to discuss and ask questions as you like.

 

On Tuesday, the Twins are sending a team up to Bradenton to play the Pirates. I will be staying in Ft. Myers and watching a lot of minor league baseball.

 

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David HK Ft Myers Mighty Mussels

David HK

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Man, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to start my day with a box score instead of the headlines- especially in spring, when there are a lot of unfamiliar (or long-ago familiar) names, like:

 

Wow, a Cameron in CF for the Tiggers- could it be? *click* Yes! It's Mike's boy! (And how about those MLB progeny on the Blue Jays who lit us up yesterday?)

And I see the ghost of Jacque Jones hit a tater as well. ;-)

 

Gibby, scattering hits, giving up nothing, and 4 Ks! Wow! 

Even a clean inning from A. Reed, and Peter Parker striking out the side in a clean one, too- maybe he's the real deal.

And gee, this Tom Collins guy looks like a cool, refreshing 7th-inning kinda cocktail, too. I suppose when you're on the mound at a strapping 5'7", it helps to have a mean-dude beard.

 

Happy Spring, everybody.

Happy baseball, for better or worse.

 

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DocBauer St Paul Saints

DocBauer

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Seth, it's on ST for everyone! You'll catch the next one. But laptop and beer should be preserved at all costs! Lol

 

No hyperbole, the picture of Audra is amazing! (And not just because it's her). That should be framed, printed, sold, auctioned, etc!

 

ST or not, the hidden ball trick just shouldn't happen. Shame on Adrianza! (But it was "smirk" worthy).

 

ST or not, Gibson knuckled down! It's part of the new mental perspective he developed in 2017. There is no SSS as to the new and improved Gibson. He is a legit #3 who throws like a #2 some days. He needs to be extended. Then we need one more guy to add to he and Berrios. Just wish we had that guy now.

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rdehring GCL Twins

rdehring

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Enjoy spring training, Seth.  Its a bear up here with all the snow and probably worse up on the border.

 

With his new contract in hand, I have a feeling that Kepler is going to have a break-out season...at least as far as the average is concerned.  Have you seen much of him?  

 

Collins has pitched well, have you seen him so you can comment?  Can he make this team?  

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Otto von Ballpark All-Star

Otto von Ballpark

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I need a reminder about what kind of contract he signed. 

Collins signed a minor league contract. But he's got an April 1st opt-out (if he's not added to the MLB roster by then) according to this:

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-tim-collins-is-trying-to-climb-back-two-tommy-john-surgeries-later/506581342/

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amjgt GCL Twins

amjgt

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Collins signed a minor league contract. But he's got an April 1st opt-out (if he's not added to the MLB roster by then) according to this:

 

http://www.startribune.com/twins-tim-collins-is-trying-to-climb-back-two-tommy-john-surgeries-later/506581342/

No too many obvious guys to take off the 40 man, probably Duffey and Reed being the most obvious, but there could be a 60-day IL stint between now and then. How does the 60-day work at the start of the season? Could Sano’s stint be retroactive to the surgery?

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Otto von Ballpark All-Star

Otto von Ballpark

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How does the 60-day work at the start of the season? Could Sano’s stint be retroactive to the surgery?

Days prior to opening day don't count toward the 60-day requirement. So you can put a guy on the 60 day DL now to free up the roster spot, but that player would be ineligible to return before June 1st or so.

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