Twins Fan From Afar

Thanks for the stats. I guess my answer is either "both," or Revere. Once we factor in defensive metrics, Revere's lower salary, and the fact that a Span trade could (hopefully) bring in good pitching talent, I guess to me the offensive drop from Span to Revere isn't that big of a deal.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7P0n8p_uIw/UGwrL7pS4nI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jM9rwUSf_2Q/s1600/Target+Field.bmp The fact that the Twins were awful for a second straight season admittedly diminished the amount of baseball that I watched this year, and I found it somewhat difficult to write about the Twins as the season dragged on, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed covering the Rock Cats -- a winning baseball team. Still, though, it's always disappointing when the season comes to an end. Here is a little list of things that I will miss, or already do miss, about Twins-related baseball. 1. Checking for the lineups to come out each afternoon. 2. Getaway day games that make life at the office just a little bit better. 3. Checking Joe Mauer's batting average against the leaderboard. 4. Going to Rock Cats games and sitting 1 row above the home dugout for $12 or so. 5. Following Twins prospects coming up with the Red Wings, Rock Cats, Miracle, Snappers, E-Town, and other teams. 6. Watching Ben Revere highlights and arguing with people that still think that he can't be a serviceable major league center fielder. 7. Checking the overall baseball standings to find out where the Twins will draft in 2013 (4th overall). 8. Getting to know a few of the Rock Cats players through events at the ballpark and in the community. 9. The feeling that, regardless of what else is going on in life, and regardless of whether the Twins are in first place or last, they are a great distraction. 10. Listening to the radio broadcast and being taken back to a time when I was 10 years old, laying in my childhood bed, quietly listening to John Gordon or Herb Carneal on 830 before I fell asleep.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7P0n8p_uIw/UGwrL7pS4nI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jM9rwUSf_2Q/s1600/Target+Field.bmp The fact that the Twins were awful for a second straight season admittedly diminished the amount of baseball that I watched this year, and I found it somewhat difficult to write about the Twins as the season dragged on, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed covering the Rock Cats -- a winning baseball team. Still, though, it's always disappointing when the season comes to an end. Here is a little list of things that I will miss, or already do miss, about Twins-related baseball. 1. Checking for the lineups to come out each afternoon. 2. Getaway day games that make life at the office just a little bit better. 3. Checking Joe Mauer's batting average against the leaderboard. 4. Going to Rock Cats games and sitting 1 row above the home dugout for $12 or so. 5. Following Twins prospects coming up with the Red Wings, Rock Cats, Miracle, Snappers, E-Town, and other teams. 6. Watching Ben Revere highlights and arguing with people that still think that he can't be a serviceable major league center fielder. 7. Checking the overall baseball standings to find out where the Twins will draft in 2013 (4th overall). 8. Getting to know a few of the Rock Cats players through events at the ballpark and in the community. 9. The feeling that, regardless of what else is going on in life, and regardless of whether the Twins are in first place or last, they are a great distraction. 10. Listening to the radio broadcast and being taken back to a time when I was 10 years old, laying in my childhood bed, quietly listening to John Gordon or Herb Carneal on 830 before I fell asleep.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKSjCGY274/UEiZQtQIynI/AAAAAAAAAd0/AxQ_RTFFrVw/s320/Arcia.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Emerging prospect Oswaldo Arcia batting late in the 2012 season [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive season, the Rock Cats made it to the final game with a chance to make the playoffs. For the second consecutive season, they fell just short. They ended the season with a respectable record of 75-67, winning each of their last 6 games in a push for the playoffs. Playoffs in the minor leagues are interesting. On the one hand, the guys are competitors and want to earn a ring -- and we, as fans, want them to win, even in the minor leagues, where the focus should be predominately on player development. On the other hand, there's no significant financial incentive to play more games, and we're talking about young men that have been away from home for half a year, living out of suitcases and traveling almost exclusively on buses. So it's an interesting dichotomy. On that topic, here's a minor league anecdote for you: Most of the Rockcats' players leases were set to expire on the last day of the regular season. I was talking to a few of them, and here's what their schedule was like for 1 particular 24 hour period --- day game after a night game; go back to apartment, pack and clean it out so that landlord can conduct walk-through; sleep somewhere; play final game of season (which, if they won, they would have had to immediately board a bus to Reading, PA). Moreso than the slash lines, gym time, and bullpen sessions, that is the life of a minor leaguer. For every Aaron Hicks who has received a sizable signing bonus, there are dozens of Nathan Hansons and Chris Colabellos -- guys fighting, paycheck to paycheck, to defy the odds and keep advancing through the minor leagues. That's minor league baseball. It was a very solid season for New Britain. Two players in particular -- Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks -- surpassed expectations, and will each rank somewhere in the top 5 on my list of Twins prospects going into 2013. Chris Herrmann demonstrated to me that he can handle the job of back-up catcher at least as well as Drew Butera. Chris Colabello -- a 28 year old depth signing -- set the franchise record for RBIs. Even Deibinson Romero, too old to be a legitimate prospect, hit 19 home runs and was named a season-ending All-Star. You'll notice that I'm not focusing too much on pitching. As I've written before, most pitchers with even decent stats were sent very quickly to AAA. Additionally, aside from B.J. Hermsen (who had a very solid season, going 11-6 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio), I didn't see too much from the starters that really registered with me. Bruce Pugh, out of the bullpen, throws pretty hard, so that is encouraging. If you follow the Twins, though, it won't be surprising for you to hear that there is a dearth of top shelf pitching talent at this level of the minors. There were some very memorable moments this season, as well. My "season" covering the Rock Cats actually started in January, well before Spring Training, when I attended the team's Hot Stove Luncheon, where former GM Bill Smith was the keynote speaker. Probably most important happening, for me personally this season, was when the Twins and the Rock Cats announced that they had extended their player development contract through the 2014 season, so I will have Twins-related baseball to follow, just down the road, for at least another couple years. With respect to on-the-field action, there was plenty. Arcia hit a walk-off home run shortly after being promoted. Colabello did the same -- his was a majestic opposite-field shot that glanced off a light tower. On several occasions this team came back in the final innings -- one time plating multiple runs when they were down to their final out -- to win outright, or at the very least, to push the contest to extra innings. Herrmann had 4 hits in consecutive games. Arcia had multiple hits in each of his last 8 games this season, and looked darn close to a major league hitter in my opinion. He was twice named Eastern League player of the week, and was the Eastern League player of the month in July. Hicks had 5 hits in a game, and has excellent speed. In fact, Hicks' ascension up the Twins prospect rankings might make an off-season trade of either Denard Span or Ben Revere more probable. On a personal level, this was a fun year to follow the team. I had a tough time keeping up with the blog part of this summer, as work and life got in the way just a little, so I apologize for that. That being said, it's incredibly easy to get involved with team events and to meet the players. I probably went to 15 or so games, and blogged about most of them. I got to know a lot of the season ticket holders, who are all fantastic people -- and Twins fans! I attended a preseason team dinner, where I sat with Alex Wimmers for a few hours. Unfortunately, Wimmers made only one start for New Britain before an arm injury, which eventually required Tommy John surgery, sidelined him for the season. I purchased a game-worn and signed Oswaldo Arcia "Irish Pride Night" jersey to support the Rock Cats charitable foundation (and met Arcia). Not regretting that purchase at all. I went to another charity event at a local bar/grill, where Chris Herrmann, whom I previously had interviewed, was my waiter, and where I talked to Aaron Hicks -- one of the nicest athletes I have ever met -- for a good half hour. I was a guest of infielder James Beresford's family, who had traveled from Australia to watch their son play for a few weeks. A couple weeks ago, Terry Ryan was in attendance, so I introduced myself and tried to talk up Herrmann to him. Finally, I threw out a first pitch a few weeks ago, and am happy to report that, although the velocity is significantly down, the accuracy is still there -- in other words, I fit the Twins mold. I'm already looking forward to next year. Although I've almost certainly seen the last of Hicks and Herrmann, and probably Arcia, I'm excited for the next wave of talent coming up -- perhaps not at the beginning of the season, but by next summer.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKSjCGY274/UEiZQtQIynI/AAAAAAAAAd0/AxQ_RTFFrVw/s320/Arcia.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Emerging prospect Oswaldo Arcia batting late in the 2012 season [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive season, the Rock Cats made it to the final game with a chance to make the playoffs. For the second consecutive season, they fell just short. They ended the season with a respectable record of 75-67, winning each of their last 6 games in a push for the playoffs. Playoffs in the minor leagues are interesting. On the one hand, the guys are competitors and want to earn a ring -- and we, as fans, want them to win, even in the minor leagues, where the focus should be predominately on player development. On the other hand, there's no significant financial incentive to play more games, and we're talking about young men that have been away from home for half a year, living out of suitcases and traveling almost exclusively on buses. So it's an interesting dichotomy. On that topic, here's a minor league anecdote for you: Most of the Rockcats' players leases were set to expire on the last day of the regular season. I was talking to a few of them, and here's what their schedule was like for 1 particular 24 hour period --- day game after a night game; go back to apartment, pack and clean it out so that landlord can conduct walk-through; sleep somewhere; play final game of season (which, if they won, they would have had to immediately board a bus to Reading, PA). Moreso than the slash lines, gym time, and bullpen sessions, that is the life of a minor leaguer. For every Aaron Hicks who has received a sizable signing bonus, there are dozens of Nathan Hansons and Chris Colabellos -- guys fighting, paycheck to paycheck, to defy the odds and keep advancing through the minor leagues. That's minor league baseball. It was a very solid season for New Britain. Two players in particular -- Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks -- surpassed expectations, and will each rank somewhere in the top 5 on my list of Twins prospects going into 2013. Chris Herrmann demonstrated to me that he can handle the job of back-up catcher at least as well as Drew Butera. Chris Colabello -- a 28 year old depth signing -- set the franchise record for RBIs. Even Deibinson Romero, too old to be a legitimate prospect, hit 19 home runs and was named a season-ending All-Star. You'll notice that I'm not focusing too much on pitching. As I've written before, most pitchers with even decent stats were sent very quickly to AAA. Additionally, aside from B.J. Hermsen (who had a very solid season, going 11-6 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio), I didn't see too much from the starters that really registered with me. Bruce Pugh, out of the bullpen, throws pretty hard, so that is encouraging. If you follow the Twins, though, it won't be surprising for you to hear that there is a dearth of top shelf pitching talent at this level of the minors. There were some very memorable moments this season, as well. My "season" covering the Rock Cats actually started in January, well before Spring Training, when I attended the team's Hot Stove Luncheon, where former GM Bill Smith was the keynote speaker. Probably most important happening, for me personally this season, was when the Twins and the Rock Cats announced that they had extended their player development contract through the 2014 season, so I will have Twins-related baseball to follow, just down the road, for at least another couple years. With respect to on-the-field action, there was plenty. Arcia hit a walk-off home run shortly after being promoted. Colabello did the same -- his was a majestic opposite-field shot that glanced off a light tower. On several occasions this team came back in the final innings -- one time plating multiple runs when they were down to their final out -- to win outright, or at the very least, to push the contest to extra innings. Herrmann had 4 hits in consecutive games. Arcia had multiple hits in each of his last 8 games this season, and looked darn close to a major league hitter in my opinion. He was twice named Eastern League player of the week, and was the Eastern League player of the month in July. Hicks had 5 hits in a game, and has excellent speed. In fact, Hicks' ascension up the Twins prospect rankings might make an off-season trade of either Denard Span or Ben Revere more probable. On a personal level, this was a fun year to follow the team. I had a tough time keeping up with the blog part of this summer, as work and life got in the way just a little, so I apologize for that. That being said, it's incredibly easy to get involved with team events and to meet the players. I probably went to 15 or so games, and blogged about most of them. I got to know a lot of the season ticket holders, who are all fantastic people -- and Twins fans! I attended a preseason team dinner, where I sat with Alex Wimmers for a few hours. Unfortunately, Wimmers made only one start for New Britain before an arm injury, which eventually required Tommy John surgery, sidelined him for the season. I purchased a game-worn and signed Oswaldo Arcia "Irish Pride Night" jersey to support the Rock Cats charitable foundation (and met Arcia). Not regretting that purchase at all. I went to another charity event at a local bar/grill, where Chris Herrmann, whom I previously had interviewed, was my waiter, and where I talked to Aaron Hicks -- one of the nicest athletes I have ever met -- for a good half hour. I was a guest of infielder James Beresford's family, who had traveled from Australia to watch their son play for a few weeks. A couple weeks ago, Terry Ryan was in attendance, so I introduced myself and tried to talk up Herrmann to him. Finally, I threw out a first pitch a few weeks ago, and am happy to report that, although the velocity is significantly down, the accuracy is still there -- in other words, I fit the Twins mold. I'm already looking forward to next year. Although I've almost certainly seen the last of Hicks and Herrmann, and probably Arcia, I'm excited for the next wave of talent coming up -- perhaps not at the beginning of the season, but by next summer.

To think, just 5 months ago, I questioned whether Aaron Hicks had earned his promotion to AA. Of course, at that time, I was basing my concern on Hicks' less-than-impressive High-A slash line of .242/.354/.368 in 2011. Importantly, Hicks was repeating High-A that season, so I had reason to be suspicious. Boy, was I wrong. Hicks unquestionably had a breakout season in 2012 that, at least for me, firmly places him in the top 5 of Twins prospects going into 2013. Let's look at his numbers from this past season: .286/.384/.460; 21 2B; 11 3B; 13 HR; 61 RBIs (he served as leadoff hitter the last half of the season); 79 BB; 116 K; 32 SB; 11 CS. He accumulated 472 at-bats and scored in even 100 runs. Hicks led the Rock Cats in several offensive categories. Instead of focusing on that, however, I want to examine Hicks compared to Eastern League batting leaders. After all, he profiles as a future major league regular, so we should be comparing him to the best players in his division, not just on his team. His .286 average is good for 15th in the league. The 11 triples are tied for first in the league, and the 100 runs are solidly in first place in the entire league. Hicks tied for first in walks, was third in stolen bases, and eighth in on-base percentage. All of these numbers boil down to this: an incredibly solid season. I was a little disappointed that Hicks did not receive a September call-up. Yes, I understand that the outfield is relatively full with Ben Revere, Josh Willingham, Chris Parmelee and Darin Mastroianni. I get it -- Hicks would not have received regular playing time, and it would cost the Twins money to have him sitting on the bench making major league minimum salary. But September call-ups can serve another function aside from helping to ensure that a team has enough healthy bodies at the end of the season: they can be a reward. And Hicks certainly was deserving of a reward. For the record, I also believe that at least one of Chris Colabello (fantastic story and hit the cover off of the ball), Oswaldo Arcia (professional hitter), or Chris Herrmann (catching depth) could have been selected for an extended look at Target Field this final month of the season. But Hicks, above all others, looked like he had earned a call-up in 2012. One other thing about Hicks -- he is one of the most polite and well-spoken professional athletes that I have ever met. I spoke to him just a couple nights ago, and am not sure that I recall meeting an athlete as humble. I'm certain, of course, that I have seen the last of Hicks in New Britain. I suspect he'll open 2013 in Rochester as their every day center fielder, and will be in position for a call-up next season at this time, if not a little sooner (especially if either Denard Span or Revere is traded). Congratulations, Aaron, on a fantastic season, and good luck in the future.

To think, just 5 months ago, I questioned whether Aaron Hicks had earned his promotion to AA. Of course, at that time, I was basing my concern on Hicks' less-than-impressive High-A slash line of .242/.354/.368 in 2011. Importantly, Hicks was repeating High-A that season, so I had reason to be suspicious. Boy, was I wrong. Hicks unquestionably had a breakout season in 2012 that, at least for me, firmly places him in the top 5 of Twins prospects going into 2013. Let's look at his numbers from this past season: .286/.384/.460; 21 2B; 11 3B; 13 HR; 61 RBIs (he served as leadoff hitter the last half of the season); 79 BB; 116 K; 32 SB; 11 CS. He accumulated 472 at-bats and scored in even 100 runs. Hicks led the Rock Cats in several offensive categories. Instead of focusing on that, however, I want to examine Hicks compared to Eastern League batting leaders. After all, he profiles as a future major league regular, so we should be comparing him to the best players in his division, not just on his team. His .286 average is good for 15th in the league. The 11 triples are tied for first in the league, and the 100 runs are solidly in first place in the entire league. Hicks tied for first in walks, was third in stolen bases, and eighth in on-base percentage. All of these numbers boil down to this: an incredibly solid season. I was a little disappointed that Hicks did not receive a September call-up. Yes, I understand that the outfield is relatively full with Ben Revere, Josh Willingham, Chris Parmelee and Darin Mastroianni. I get it -- Hicks would not have received regular playing time, and it would cost the Twins money to have him sitting on the bench making major league minimum salary. But September call-ups can serve another function aside from helping to ensure that a team has enough healthy bodies at the end of the season: they can be a reward. And Hicks certainly was deserving of a reward. For the record, I also believe that at least one of Chris Colabello (fantastic story and hit the cover off of the ball), Oswaldo Arcia (professional hitter), or Chris Herrmann (catching depth) could have been selected for an extended look at Target Field this final month of the season. But Hicks, above all others, looked like he had earned a call-up in 2012. One other thing about Hicks -- he is one of the most polite and well-spoken professional athletes that I have ever met. I spoke to him just a couple nights ago, and am not sure that I recall meeting an athlete as humble. I'm certain, of course, that I have seen the last of Hicks in New Britain. I suspect he'll open 2013 in Rochester as their every day center fielder, and will be in position for a call-up next season at this time, if not a little sooner (especially if either Denard Span or Revere is traded). Congratulations, Aaron, on a fantastic season, and good luck in the future.

The minor league season is about to wrap up. A couple teams -- E-Town and Beloit -- are headed to the playoffs, which is great for fans of the minor league system. Let's take a look at the action down on the farm. ROCHESTER -- OFF NEW BRITAIN 3, TRENTON 1 It still has been a solid season for the Rock Cats, but their performance in August has been dreadful. Unfortunately, they're fighting a very uphill battle for the final playoff spot. They did, however, turn in a good performance tonight. Logan Darnell had a quality start, going 6 innings and yielding 0 runs. He struck out 3 and walked 2. David Bromberg allowed 1 run 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 2 and walking 2. Bruce Pugh tossed 2 scoreless frames, fanning 3. Deibinson Romero was 3-for-4 tonight with 2 doubles and an RBI, demonstrating why he was a season-ending All-Star in the Eastern League. MN's own Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double. Oswaldo Arcia had a triple in 4 at-bats, and is hitting .321. Aaron Hicks also tripled, his only hit in 5 at-bats. He's hitting a solid .285. Rene Tosoni had a double, and Chris Colabello and Daniel Rohlfing each singled. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 9, BRADENTON 8 There was no shortage of offense at this nearly 3 hour game. Tom Stuifbergen started, and went 5 innings. He gave up 7 runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out 1. He allowed 2 home runs. The bullpen was better, though. Miguel Munoz allowed 1 run on 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 1. Ryan O'Rourke tossed 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and allowing only 1 hit. Michael Tonkin tossed a scoreless 9th, fanning 3 and allowing 1 hit. There were 12 hits for the Miracle this evening. 3 players each had 3 hits. Levi Michael was 3-for-5 -- all doubles -- and had 3 RBIs. Nice to see some power from Michael. Daniel Ortiz was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, and also had 3 RBIs. Angel Morales was 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and 2 walks. Steven Liddle, Jonathan Goncalves and Aderlin Mejia all singled. Morales also had 2 stolen bases tonight. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 6, WISCONSIN 5 (12 innings) David Hurlbut got the start for the Snappers, and went 7 innings. He gave up 4 runs (only 2 earned), allowed 6 hits and struck out 2. Corey Williams threw 1 and 2/3 scorleless out of the bullpen, surrendering 3 hits and striking out 1. Zachary Jones tossed 1 and 1/3 innings, allowed an unearned run, struck out 2, walked 1, and gave up one hit. Steven Gruver earned the win for the Snappers tonight, throwing the final 2 scoreless innings, striking out 1 batter. JaDamion Williams was 2-for-4 with a walk, Weng-Wei Lin was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen was the hero of the night, delivering what turned out to be the game-winning single in the top of the 12th. Pettersen was 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Kennys Vargas and Nate Roberts were 1-for-6 with doubles, and Steven Wickens had singled and walked in 4 trips to the plate. There were 7 combined errors tonight -- 4 from the Snappers (Wickens, Hurlbut, Roberts, and Eddie Rosario). Miguel Sano watchers: he did not play tonight. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 4, DANVILLE 0 The 2012 Appalachian League Playoffs, Series 1 (the semi-finals), pits familiar post-season foes the Twins and the Braves. The E-Town Twins got the first victory in this best-of-3 series, so they hold a major advantage now. E-Town won on the road, so they will play tomorrow night at home, hoping to wrap up this series with consecutive wins. Here's the rundown of tonight's action: This game was all about E-Town's pitching. 2012 draft pick, and sure-fire top Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios turned in a great start, going 6 innings, allowing only 1 hit, striking out 7 and walking 1. Tyler Duffey threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 4, and J.T. Chargois tossed a scoreless 9th, allowing 1 hit and fanning 1 batter. With pitching performances like that, you don't need too much offense! Luckily, E-Town was able to string together more than enough offense to make the pitchers comfortable. Right fielder Adam Walker had a big game. He was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and single, and had 2 RBIs. His 2-run homer came in the second inning, thus giving Berrios some breathing room. Shortstop Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jorge Polanco had 2 hits in 4 at-bats. Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and D.J. Hicks and Candido Pimentel were each 1-for-4, Hicks' hit being a double. Buxton and Walker each stole a base, as well. Here's the link to the box score. ---------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 29 Pitcher of the Day: Jose Berrios http://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/berrios.jpg Hitter of the Day: Levi Michael http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cfMooX0G0nU/T-p4OnmHUiI/AAAAAAAACa4/hioU-yzjRo8/s1600/LeviMichael.jpg ----------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 30 Rochester vs. Buffalo --- RHP P.J. Walters New Britain @ Trenton --- RHP B.J. Hermsen Ft. Myers vs. Charlotte --- ??? Beloit @ Wisconsin --- RHP Cole Johnson Elizabethton vs. Danville (Playoff Game 2) --- LHP Brett Lee ----------------------------------------- Please leave any questions or comments here, and thanks for reading.

The minor league season is about to wrap up. A couple teams -- E-Town and Beloit -- are headed to the playoffs, which is great for fans of the minor league system. Let's take a look at the action down on the farm. ROCHESTER -- OFF NEW BRITAIN 3, TRENTON 1 It still has been a solid season for the Rock Cats, but their performance in August has been dreadful. Unfortunately, they're fighting a very uphill battle for the final playoff spot. They did, however, turn in a good performance tonight. Logan Darnell had a quality start, going 6 innings and yielding 0 runs. He struck out 3 and walked 2. David Bromberg allowed 1 run 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 2 and walking 2. Bruce Pugh tossed 2 scoreless frames, fanning 3. Deibinson Romero was 3-for-4 tonight with 2 doubles and an RBI, demonstrating why he was a season-ending All-Star in the Eastern League. MN's own Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double. Oswaldo Arcia had a triple in 4 at-bats, and is hitting .321. Aaron Hicks also tripled, his only hit in 5 at-bats. He's hitting a solid .285. Rene Tosoni had a double, and Chris Colabello and Daniel Rohlfing each singled. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 9, BRADENTON 8 There was no shortage of offense at this nearly 3 hour game. Tom Stuifbergen started, and went 5 innings. He gave up 7 runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out 1. He allowed 2 home runs. The bullpen was better, though. Miguel Munoz allowed 1 run on 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 1. Ryan O'Rourke tossed 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and allowing only 1 hit. Michael Tonkin tossed a scoreless 9th, fanning 3 and allowing 1 hit. There were 12 hits for the Miracle this evening. 3 players each had 3 hits. Levi Michael was 3-for-5 -- all doubles -- and had 3 RBIs. Nice to see some power from Michael. Daniel Ortiz was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, and also had 3 RBIs. Angel Morales was 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and 2 walks. Steven Liddle, Jonathan Goncalves and Aderlin Mejia all singled. Morales also had 2 stolen bases tonight. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 6, WISCONSIN 5 (12 innings) David Hurlbut got the start for the Snappers, and went 7 innings. He gave up 4 runs (only 2 earned), allowed 6 hits and struck out 2. Corey Williams threw 1 and 2/3 scorleless out of the bullpen, surrendering 3 hits and striking out 1. Zachary Jones tossed 1 and 1/3 innings, allowed an unearned run, struck out 2, walked 1, and gave up one hit. Steven Gruver earned the win for the Snappers tonight, throwing the final 2 scoreless innings, striking out 1 batter. JaDamion Williams was 2-for-4 with a walk, Weng-Wei Lin was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen was the hero of the night, delivering what turned out to be the game-winning single in the top of the 12th. Pettersen was 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Kennys Vargas and Nate Roberts were 1-for-6 with doubles, and Steven Wickens had singled and walked in 4 trips to the plate. There were 7 combined errors tonight -- 4 from the Snappers (Wickens, Hurlbut, Roberts, and Eddie Rosario). Miguel Sano watchers: he did not play tonight. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 4, DANVILLE 0 The 2012 Appalachian League Playoffs, Series 1 (the semi-finals), pits familiar post-season foes the Twins and the Braves. The E-Town Twins got the first victory in this best-of-3 series, so they hold a major advantage now. E-Town won on the road, so they will play tomorrow night at home, hoping to wrap up this series with consecutive wins. Here's the rundown of tonight's action: This game was all about E-Town's pitching. 2012 draft pick, and sure-fire top Twins pitching prospect Jose Berrios turned in a great start, going 6 innings, allowing only 1 hit, striking out 7 and walking 1. Tyler Duffey threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 4, and J.T. Chargois tossed a scoreless 9th, allowing 1 hit and fanning 1 batter. With pitching performances like that, you don't need too much offense! Luckily, E-Town was able to string together more than enough offense to make the pitchers comfortable. Right fielder Adam Walker had a big game. He was 3-for-4 with a double, home run and single, and had 2 RBIs. His 2-run homer came in the second inning, thus giving Berrios some breathing room. Shortstop Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Jorge Polanco had 2 hits in 4 at-bats. Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and D.J. Hicks and Candido Pimentel were each 1-for-4, Hicks' hit being a double. Buxton and Walker each stole a base, as well. Here's the link to the box score. ---------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 29 Pitcher of the Day: Jose Berrios http://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/berrios.jpg Hitter of the Day: Levi Michael http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cfMooX0G0nU/T-p4OnmHUiI/AAAAAAAACa4/hioU-yzjRo8/s1600/LeviMichael.jpg ----------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 30 Rochester vs. Buffalo --- RHP P.J. Walters New Britain @ Trenton --- RHP B.J. Hermsen Ft. Myers vs. Charlotte --- ??? Beloit @ Wisconsin --- RHP Cole Johnson Elizabethton vs. Danville (Playoff Game 2) --- LHP Brett Lee ----------------------------------------- Please leave any questions or comments here, and thanks for reading.

I was at the Rock Cats game this evening. It wasn't a great game for New Britain -- not nearly enough offense, and our pitchers had some trouble keeping the ball down. Terry Ryan was in attendance. I spoke to him for a few minutes, and it sounds like he plans to follow the team through its upcoming weekend series in New Hampshire, as we get closer to the date when a few players on this team might get a call-up to Minnesota (or, if the Rock Cats make the playoffs, after their playoff stint ends). Ryan was scoring the game and taking furious notes, but he was very nice in person and willing to chat between innings. Here's a rundown of tonight's minor league action: ROCHESTER 0, LEHIGH VALLEY 1 Nick Blackburn (hey, remember him?) started for Rochester tonight, and went 7 innings. He gave up 1 run on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 2. Anthony Slama had a solid performance, going 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and walking 1. The Red Wings mustered only 4 hits all night. Evan Bigley had 2 singles in 3 at-bats, and Chris Parmelee and Wilkin Ramirez also singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 2, PORTLAND 7 I went to tonight's game. The Rock Cats didn't look very good. Lucas French started, and gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings. He struck out 2 and walked 1. He didn't miss many bats tonight. Blake Martin tossed 1 inning, and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 1 and walked 1. Aaron Thompson was effective, tossing 2 scoreless innings and allowing 3 hits. In addition to the shaky starting pitching, New Britain didn't get nearly enough offense. I liked what I saw from Josmil Pinto -- he hit a no-doubt homer to left field in the 4th inning, after walking in his first AA plate appearance. Oswaldo Arcia had a nice line drive double down the right field line, and also struck out and walked. Chris Colabello, Deibinson Romero and Rene Tosoni also singled. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 1, BRADENTON 2 Tom Stuifbergen took a tough, tough loss tonight. He tossed a complete game, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 3. As with the Rock Cats, there wasn't enough Mircale offense to get the job done tonight. Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-3 with a double, Daniel Santana had 2 singles, and Daniel Rams and Kyle Knudson each singled. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 6, PEORIA 9 This game went 12 innings, until Peoria scored 3 runs in the top half to take what proved to be the final lead of the game. Tyler Jones went 5 innings in his start, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, but he did strike out 8. Corey Kimes tossed 2 and 1/3 innings, and also gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. Kimes walked 3 and struck out 1. Taylor Rogers was very effective in relief, going 2 and 2/3 innings and allowing 2 hits, striking out 2. Tim Atherton worked 1 and 2/3 innings out of the pen, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. Corey Williams worked a scoreless 1/3 of an inning, walking 1 and striking out 1. Snappers pitchers walked 10 hitters this evening. Wang-Wei Lin was 2-for-7, JaDamion Williams was 2-for-5 with a walk and 3 Ks, Eddie Rosario had a single and 3 Ks in 6 at-bats, Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a K, and Drew Leachman, Matthew Koch, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen all singled. Rosario, Pettersen, and Stephen Wickens all stole bases tonight, as well. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 3, GREENEVILLE 4 Angel Mata went 4 and 1/3 innings in his start today, giving up 4 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 3, walked 5, and allowed 2 home runs. Joshua Burris went 2 and 2/3 innings, and allowed only 1 hit while striking out 5. Great performance from him. Tyler Herr tossed 2 scoreless frames, striking out 3 and walking 1. Byron Buxton had a great day, going 3-for-5 with a triple and a stolen base. Candido Pimentel and Max Kepler each doubled (Kepler with an RBI), and DJ Hicks, Romy Jimenez and Travis Harrison all singled. Here's the link to the box score. GCL TWINS 2, GCL ORIOLES 0 Andre Martin got the start, and went 4 innings. He allowed only 3 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. Sam Gibbons also tossed 4 innings, giving up only 1 hit, striking out 1 and walking 1. Felix Jorge tossed the final frame, striking out 1, as well. Joel Licon had the big hit today, a 2-run homer that accounted for all of the Twins' runs. John Murphy doubled, and Aderlin Mejia and Bryan Harr both singled. Here's the link to the box score. -------------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 22 Pitcher of the Day: Tom Stuifbergen Hitter of the Day: Byron Buxton http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqYG2UKWMp9m-wuG_IguzqfpNmZL7BxPBG-l4Ui9BeDivsH0di --------------------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 23 Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley --- RHP Shairon Martis New Britain @ New Hampshire --- RHP Steven Hirschfeld Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton --- LHP Pat Dean Beliot vs. Peoria --- ??? Elizabethton @ Pulaski --- RHP Jose Berrios GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles --- ??? --------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading, and please leave any questions or comments.

I was at the Rock Cats game this evening. It wasn't a great game for New Britain -- not nearly enough offense, and our pitchers had some trouble keeping the ball down. Terry Ryan was in attendance. I spoke to him for a few minutes, and it sounds like he plans to follow the team through its upcoming weekend series in New Hampshire, as we get closer to the date when a few players on this team might get a call-up to Minnesota (or, if the Rock Cats make the playoffs, after their playoff stint ends). Ryan was scoring the game and taking furious notes, but he was very nice in person and willing to chat between innings. Here's a rundown of tonight's minor league action: ROCHESTER 0, LEHIGH VALLEY 1 Nick Blackburn (hey, remember him?) started for Rochester tonight, and went 7 innings. He gave up 1 run on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 2. Anthony Slama had a solid performance, going 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and walking 1. The Red Wings mustered only 4 hits all night. Evan Bigley had 2 singles in 3 at-bats, and Chris Parmelee and Wilkin Ramirez also singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 2, PORTLAND 7 I went to tonight's game. The Rock Cats didn't look very good. Lucas French started, and gave up 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings. He struck out 2 and walked 1. He didn't miss many bats tonight. Blake Martin tossed 1 inning, and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 1 and walked 1. Aaron Thompson was effective, tossing 2 scoreless innings and allowing 3 hits. In addition to the shaky starting pitching, New Britain didn't get nearly enough offense. I liked what I saw from Josmil Pinto -- he hit a no-doubt homer to left field in the 4th inning, after walking in his first AA plate appearance. Oswaldo Arcia had a nice line drive double down the right field line, and also struck out and walked. Chris Colabello, Deibinson Romero and Rene Tosoni also singled. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 1, BRADENTON 2 Tom Stuifbergen took a tough, tough loss tonight. He tossed a complete game, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 3. As with the Rock Cats, there wasn't enough Mircale offense to get the job done tonight. Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-3 with a double, Daniel Santana had 2 singles, and Daniel Rams and Kyle Knudson each singled. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 6, PEORIA 9 This game went 12 innings, until Peoria scored 3 runs in the top half to take what proved to be the final lead of the game. Tyler Jones went 5 innings in his start, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, but he did strike out 8. Corey Kimes tossed 2 and 1/3 innings, and also gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. Kimes walked 3 and struck out 1. Taylor Rogers was very effective in relief, going 2 and 2/3 innings and allowing 2 hits, striking out 2. Tim Atherton worked 1 and 2/3 innings out of the pen, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. Corey Williams worked a scoreless 1/3 of an inning, walking 1 and striking out 1. Snappers pitchers walked 10 hitters this evening. Wang-Wei Lin was 2-for-7, JaDamion Williams was 2-for-5 with a walk and 3 Ks, Eddie Rosario had a single and 3 Ks in 6 at-bats, Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a K, and Drew Leachman, Matthew Koch, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen all singled. Rosario, Pettersen, and Stephen Wickens all stole bases tonight, as well. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 3, GREENEVILLE 4 Angel Mata went 4 and 1/3 innings in his start today, giving up 4 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 3, walked 5, and allowed 2 home runs. Joshua Burris went 2 and 2/3 innings, and allowed only 1 hit while striking out 5. Great performance from him. Tyler Herr tossed 2 scoreless frames, striking out 3 and walking 1. Byron Buxton had a great day, going 3-for-5 with a triple and a stolen base. Candido Pimentel and Max Kepler each doubled (Kepler with an RBI), and DJ Hicks, Romy Jimenez and Travis Harrison all singled. Here's the link to the box score. GCL TWINS 2, GCL ORIOLES 0 Andre Martin got the start, and went 4 innings. He allowed only 3 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. Sam Gibbons also tossed 4 innings, giving up only 1 hit, striking out 1 and walking 1. Felix Jorge tossed the final frame, striking out 1, as well. Joel Licon had the big hit today, a 2-run homer that accounted for all of the Twins' runs. John Murphy doubled, and Aderlin Mejia and Bryan Harr both singled. Here's the link to the box score. -------------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 22 Pitcher of the Day: Tom Stuifbergen Hitter of the Day: Byron Buxton http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqYG2UKWMp9m-wuG_IguzqfpNmZL7BxPBG-l4Ui9BeDivsH0di --------------------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 23 Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley --- RHP Shairon Martis New Britain @ New Hampshire --- RHP Steven Hirschfeld Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton --- LHP Pat Dean Beliot vs. Peoria --- ??? Elizabethton @ Pulaski --- RHP Jose Berrios GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles --- ??? --------------------------------------------------- Thanks for reading, and please leave any questions or comments.

It feels like almost every Wednesday night when I write this, the Twins have lost, or are in the process of losing. I didn't watch or follow today's game. It looked from the highlights like Max Scherzer had a pretty good day. Oh well. Let's take a look at tonight's minor league action. ROCHESTER 6, INDIANAPOLIS 2 Esmerling Vasquez had a great game tonight, going 7 innings, allowing only 4 hits, striking out 10 and walking 2. Deolis Guerra pitched the remaining 2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits. Guerra struck out 4 and allowed a home run. Evan Bigley had the big hit of the night (see what I did there??), with a 3-run homer in the 7th inning. It was his third AAA home run. Clete Thomas was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs, Wilkin Ramirez was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, "new" Red Wing shortstop Brian Dozier had a double in 4 at-bats (and 2 strikeouts), and Nishi and Rene Rivera each singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 4, RICHMOND 3 Starter B.J. Hermsen was very effective tonight until the 5th inning, when he gave up 4 hits and 1 run. He struck out 4 and issued no walks tonight. Blake Martin tossed a scoreless inning in relief, allowing 1 walk and striking out 1. Aaron Thompson also threw 1 scoreless frame, giving up 1 hit and striking out 1 batter. Dakota Watts had a tough night, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in 1 inning of work, striking out 1 and walking 1. Jose Gonzalez also threw a scoreless inning, striking out 1. There was virtually no New Britain offense tonight until there were 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. After Chris Colabello and Joe Benson singles, Deibinson Romero homered to tie up the game, his 18th of the season. A pretty exciting finish followed for those that stayed. After holding Richmond scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Rockcats walked off in the bottom half. Minnesota's own Nathan Hanson led off the inning with a single, and was replaced by Estarlin De Los Santos as a pinch runner. After James Beresford grounded out to advance De Los Santos to second, Aaron Hicks singled, and De Los Santos moved to third. Chris Herrmann walked, and it was up to . . . Oswaldo Arcia, who had been 2-for-4 on the night. He delivered with a walk-off single to score De Los Santos, and the Rock Cats won. Arcia finished the evening 3-for-5 with an RBI, and is batting .337 for New Britain. Joe Benson did have 2 outfield assists tonight, so that was a positive for him. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 2, JUPITER 16 A tough night all around for the Miracle. Matthew Summers started, and lasted 4 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 3 hits, striking out 2 and walking 4. Ryan O'Rourke lasted only 1/3 of an inning, and gave up 6 runs on 5 hits, walking 1. Miguel Munoz finished that inning, not before giving up 5 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Munoz allowed 2 home runs. A.J. Achter and Ricky Bowen settled things down a little; each tossed a scoreless inning, striking out 1 and 2, respectively. Michael Tonkin also threw 1 inning in relief, and gave up 4 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits, striking out 2 and walking 1. Right fielder Lance Ray was 2-for-4 with a double, Jonathan Goncalves had a double and an RBI, and Daniel Santana, Levi Michael and Josmil Pinto all singled. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 13, WISCONSIN 10 Cole Johnson started and went 2 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1. Tim Atherton went 2 and 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 3 and walking 1. Corey Kimes gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in 2 innings. Kimes issued 2 walks and struck out 1. Corey Williams tossed 1 inning and allowed 2 runs, striking out 3. Zachary Jones allowed 1 run in his inning of work on 2 hits. Snappers pitchers gave up 4 home runs tonight. Luckily, the Beloit offense was better than its pitching. JaDamion Williams and Eddie Rosario both homered. It was Williams' 5th and Rosario's 8th. Rosario also doubled. Matthew Koch was 1-for-3 with a homer of his own, as well. Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas, Drew Leachman and Stephen Wickens all had 2 hits apiece, and Nate Roberts had a single, as well. Nate Roberts stole his 22nd base of the season. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON vs. BLUEFIELD --- POSTPONED GCL TWINS 2, GCL RAYS 3 Felix Jorge started for the Twins today, and went 4 innings. He gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 4 and issuing no free passes. Josue Montanez threw 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 4. Hung Yi Chen completed the game, going 2 and 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 1 hit, and striking out 1. Second baseman Logan Wade was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk. Great game for him. Aderlin Mejia, Bryan Haar and Will Hurt all singled. That was it for the offense! Here's the link to the box score. ------------------------------------------ Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 15 Pitcher of the Day: Esmerling Vasquez Hitter of the Day: Deibinson Romero (bottom of the 9th, 2 out clutch HR gets the nod tonight) ------------------------------------------ Schedule for Thursday, August 16 Rochester vs. Indianapolis --- LHP Pedro Hernandez New Britain vs. Richmond --- LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers @ Jupiter --- LHP Cole Nelson Beloit vs. Wisconsin --- LHP Jason Wheeler Elizabethton @ Bluefield (Game 1) --- RHP Hudson Boyd Elizabethton @ Bluefield (Game 2) --- ??? GCL Twins @ GCL Rays --- ??? ------------------------------------------ Please leave any questions or comments! Thanks for reading.

It feels like almost every Wednesday night when I write this, the Twins have lost, or are in the process of losing. I didn't watch or follow today's game. It looked from the highlights like Max Scherzer had a pretty good day. Oh well. Let's take a look at tonight's minor league action. ROCHESTER 6, INDIANAPOLIS 2 Esmerling Vasquez had a great game tonight, going 7 innings, allowing only 4 hits, striking out 10 and walking 2. Deolis Guerra pitched the remaining 2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits. Guerra struck out 4 and allowed a home run. Evan Bigley had the big hit of the night (see what I did there??), with a 3-run homer in the 7th inning. It was his third AAA home run. Clete Thomas was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs, Wilkin Ramirez was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, "new" Red Wing shortstop Brian Dozier had a double in 4 at-bats (and 2 strikeouts), and Nishi and Rene Rivera each singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 4, RICHMOND 3 Starter B.J. Hermsen was very effective tonight until the 5th inning, when he gave up 4 hits and 1 run. He struck out 4 and issued no walks tonight. Blake Martin tossed a scoreless inning in relief, allowing 1 walk and striking out 1. Aaron Thompson also threw 1 scoreless frame, giving up 1 hit and striking out 1 batter. Dakota Watts had a tough night, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in 1 inning of work, striking out 1 and walking 1. Jose Gonzalez also threw a scoreless inning, striking out 1. There was virtually no New Britain offense tonight until there were 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. After Chris Colabello and Joe Benson singles, Deibinson Romero homered to tie up the game, his 18th of the season. A pretty exciting finish followed for those that stayed. After holding Richmond scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Rockcats walked off in the bottom half. Minnesota's own Nathan Hanson led off the inning with a single, and was replaced by Estarlin De Los Santos as a pinch runner. After James Beresford grounded out to advance De Los Santos to second, Aaron Hicks singled, and De Los Santos moved to third. Chris Herrmann walked, and it was up to . . . Oswaldo Arcia, who had been 2-for-4 on the night. He delivered with a walk-off single to score De Los Santos, and the Rock Cats won. Arcia finished the evening 3-for-5 with an RBI, and is batting .337 for New Britain. Joe Benson did have 2 outfield assists tonight, so that was a positive for him. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 2, JUPITER 16 A tough night all around for the Miracle. Matthew Summers started, and lasted 4 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 3 hits, striking out 2 and walking 4. Ryan O'Rourke lasted only 1/3 of an inning, and gave up 6 runs on 5 hits, walking 1. Miguel Munoz finished that inning, not before giving up 5 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Munoz allowed 2 home runs. A.J. Achter and Ricky Bowen settled things down a little; each tossed a scoreless inning, striking out 1 and 2, respectively. Michael Tonkin also threw 1 inning in relief, and gave up 4 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits, striking out 2 and walking 1. Right fielder Lance Ray was 2-for-4 with a double, Jonathan Goncalves had a double and an RBI, and Daniel Santana, Levi Michael and Josmil Pinto all singled. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 13, WISCONSIN 10 Cole Johnson started and went 2 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1. Tim Atherton went 2 and 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 3 and walking 1. Corey Kimes gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in 2 innings. Kimes issued 2 walks and struck out 1. Corey Williams tossed 1 inning and allowed 2 runs, striking out 3. Zachary Jones allowed 1 run in his inning of work on 2 hits. Snappers pitchers gave up 4 home runs tonight. Luckily, the Beloit offense was better than its pitching. JaDamion Williams and Eddie Rosario both homered. It was Williams' 5th and Rosario's 8th. Rosario also doubled. Matthew Koch was 1-for-3 with a homer of his own, as well. Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas, Drew Leachman and Stephen Wickens all had 2 hits apiece, and Nate Roberts had a single, as well. Nate Roberts stole his 22nd base of the season. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON vs. BLUEFIELD --- POSTPONED GCL TWINS 2, GCL RAYS 3 Felix Jorge started for the Twins today, and went 4 innings. He gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 4 and issuing no free passes. Josue Montanez threw 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and striking out 4. Hung Yi Chen completed the game, going 2 and 1/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 1 hit, and striking out 1. Second baseman Logan Wade was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk. Great game for him. Aderlin Mejia, Bryan Haar and Will Hurt all singled. That was it for the offense! Here's the link to the box score. ------------------------------------------ Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 15 Pitcher of the Day: Esmerling Vasquez Hitter of the Day: Deibinson Romero (bottom of the 9th, 2 out clutch HR gets the nod tonight) ------------------------------------------ Schedule for Thursday, August 16 Rochester vs. Indianapolis --- LHP Pedro Hernandez New Britain vs. Richmond --- LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers @ Jupiter --- LHP Cole Nelson Beloit vs. Wisconsin --- LHP Jason Wheeler Elizabethton @ Bluefield (Game 1) --- RHP Hudson Boyd Elizabethton @ Bluefield (Game 2) --- ??? GCL Twins @ GCL Rays --- ??? ------------------------------------------ Please leave any questions or comments! Thanks for reading.

Thanks for the comments, guys. Yea, hindsight is the big thing. I was pumped for Target Field, and the 2010 lineup was pretty great compared to most other Twins teams. It's tough to think about erasing some of those memories.

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] **Full disclosure: this post is full of hypotheticals, and is not grounded in reality**  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=class: tr-caption]Twins fans, can you picture Bryce Harper wearing the TC logo? [/TD] [/TABLE]  The 2010 season produced some great memories for Twins fans. Jim Thome proved that you could be old (in baseball terms) and still . Joe Mauer had a solid season. Justin Morneau played the first half of the season at an MVP pace. Even Delmon Young had a career-best season and, honestly, led the Twins in offense down the stretch. The Twins cruised to an easy AL Central title, and it almost felt like 2010 was going to be different than all the other seasons. Yes, we were playing the Yankees again, but this team was better than the 2009 version -- it had more confidence, better talent, and was playing in a brand new, shiny stadium. Yea, it almost felt different (cut to graphic of Charlie Brown believing that, this time, Lucy is indeed going to hold the football in place while he kicks it). Of course, that's not how it played out. The Twins lost 3 in a row to the Yankees, the first 2 at Target Field, and that was it for the playoffs. The Twins haven't been remotely close to a .500 team since then, and there is very little to indicate that next year will be considerably better, unless major moves are made to acquire starting pitching. But let's imagine, just for a second, that 2010 didn't go nearly as well. We'll say, for instance, that it basically went like 2011 did: Mauer injured, half the Rochester Red Wings on daily shuttles to the MSP airport; Jim Thome not as impressive; and a rash of other injuries that made the Twins simply awful. Let's say, in fact, that the Twins finished with the worst record in baseball in 2010. That would have given them the #1 pick in MLB's 2011 amateur draft. The Nationals, of course, selected Bryce Harper, and he has been a mainstay in their major league lineup for a few months now. Yes, he has struggled recently, but there is every indication to believe that Harper -- who could have a 20-year career -- will live up to his potential. So here is my question for the day: What's "just another" division title worth to you? What if, instead of having a great 2010 and fading yet again in the playoffs, the Twins could have drafted Harper in 2011 by absolutely tanking the 2010 season? Or, perhaps, Stephen Strasburg in 2009? Would you, as a fan, rather have that extra pennant hanging at Target Field, or would you be willing to exchange all those great 2010 memories for a Harper or Strasburg level of talent?

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] **Full disclosure: this post is full of hypotheticals, and is not grounded in reality**  [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container, align: center] [TD=class: tr-caption]Twins fans, can you picture Bryce Harper wearing the TC logo? [/TD] [/TABLE]  The 2010 season produced some great memories for Twins fans. Jim Thome proved that you could be old (in baseball terms) and still . Joe Mauer had a solid season. Justin Morneau played the first half of the season at an MVP pace. Even Delmon Young had a career-best season and, honestly, led the Twins in offense down the stretch. The Twins cruised to an easy AL Central title, and it almost felt like 2010 was going to be different than all the other seasons. Yes, we were playing the Yankees again, but this team was better than the 2009 version -- it had more confidence, better talent, and was playing in a brand new, shiny stadium. Yea, it almost felt different (cut to graphic of Charlie Brown believing that, this time, Lucy is indeed going to hold the football in place while he kicks it). Of course, that's not how it played out. The Twins lost 3 in a row to the Yankees, the first 2 at Target Field, and that was it for the playoffs. The Twins haven't been remotely close to a .500 team since then, and there is very little to indicate that next year will be considerably better, unless major moves are made to acquire starting pitching. But let's imagine, just for a second, that 2010 didn't go nearly as well. We'll say, for instance, that it basically went like 2011 did: Mauer injured, half the Rochester Red Wings on daily shuttles to the MSP airport; Jim Thome not as impressive; and a rash of other injuries that made the Twins simply awful. Let's say, in fact, that the Twins finished with the worst record in baseball in 2010. That would have given them the #1 pick in MLB's 2011 amateur draft. The Nationals, of course, selected Bryce Harper, and he has been a mainstay in their major league lineup for a few months now. Yes, he has struggled recently, but there is every indication to believe that Harper -- who could have a 20-year career -- will live up to his potential. So here is my question for the day: What's "just another" division title worth to you? What if, instead of having a great 2010 and fading yet again in the playoffs, the Twins could have drafted Harper in 2011 by absolutely tanking the 2010 season? Or, perhaps, Stephen Strasburg in 2009? Would you, as a fan, rather have that extra pennant hanging at Target Field, or would you be willing to exchange all those great 2010 memories for a Harper or Strasburg level of talent?

Today's Twins game was disappointing on several fronts. The Twins lost a chance for a sweep, Ben Revere failed to extend his impressive hit streak, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka continued to look ... confused at second base. Oh well. Let's take a look at the action down on the farm. ROCHESTER 3, SCRANTON/WB 7 Shairon Martis turned in a quality start, tossing 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 2, but did allow 2 home runs. Deolis Guerra had a tough outing. In 1 inning of work he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 1. Kyle Waldrop lasted only 2/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Lucas French threw the remaining 1/3 of an inning. Chris Parmelee was 2-for-4 with a double, and is batting .354 at AAA. Matt Carson (12) and Clete Thomas (11) both homered for the Red Wings. Eduardo Escobar and Brian Dinkelman singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 3, BINGHAMTON 8 It seems like most of the quality arms have left New Britain. Tonight, Aaron Thompson got the nod, and lasted 5 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, and struck out 3. Marty Popham allowed 2 runs in 1 and 1/3 innings on 3 hits. Finally, Edgar Ibarra tossed a scoreless frame, striking out 2. Chris Colabello continues to impress. He was 2-for-4 tonight with his 18th home run and his 84th RBI. Oswaldo Arcia was 1-for-2 with his 12th double. He also struck out, walked, and had a sac fly. Aaron Hicks hit his 7th triple and walked. Chris Herrmann and Nathan Hanson also had singles. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 7, JUPITER 2 In this rain-shortened game (7 innings), Pat Dean picked up his 7th win of the season tonight, going 6 solid innings. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 3 and walking 2. Clint Dempster threw a scoreless 7th inning, allowing 2 hits. Daniel Santana was 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, Daniel Rams had 2 singles in 4 at-bats, and 2 RBIs. Lance Ray was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Levi Michael, Josmil Pinto, Michael Gonzales, Andy Leer and Angel Morales all singled. Leer's single drove in 2 runs, as well. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 4, QUAD CITIES 1 Matt Tomshaw picked up his 4th win of the season, turning in a great start. He went 7 and 2/3 innings and gave up 1 unearned run, allowing 6 hits and striking out 4. No free passes. Dallas Gallant earned the save, throwing 1 and 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out 1. JaDamion Williams hit his 5th home run of the season tonight, a solo shot. Jairo Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Leachman had 2 singles and a walk in 3 at-bats, and Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Stephen Wickens all singled. Sano (38) and Rosario (14) also had errors this evening. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 5, JOHNSON CITY 2 Brett Lee got the start and went 4 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 7! Kaleb Merck tossed a scoreless 5th, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. Tyler Duffey threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 2. J.T. Chargois allowed 1 run on 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 1. Luke Bard tossed a perfect 9th. Max Kepler had a huge day. He was 4-for-4 with 2 singles, a double (10) and a home run (8). He drove in 2 runs, as well. Adam Walker hit 2 solo home runs in 4 at-bats, giving him 11 on the season. Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 in his E-Town debut, and Candido Pimentel and Niko Goodrum both singled. Here's the link to the box score. GCL Twins 6, GCL Orioles 7 Felix Jorge started for the Twins today, and went 4 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 2 hits, striking out 4 and walking 1. Gerardo Ramirez worked 1 inning and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Thereafter, Trent Higginbotham gave up 2 runs in 1 inning of work, surrendering 3 hits. Alexander Muren tossed 2 scoreless innings, striking out 1 and walking 1. Anthony Slama, rehabbing an injury, threw 1 perfect inning, and Hung Yi Chen 2 runs in 1 inning of work, on 2 hits. Catcher Jorge Fernandez was 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a run. Great game for him. Joel Licon tripled and walked twice, and the following players all singled: Jeremias Pineda; Jose Ramirez; Dereck Rodriguez; Kelvin Ortiz; John Murphy; Javier Pimentel; and Logan Wade. Here's the link to the box score. ---------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 8 Hitter of the Day: Max Kepler http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/645/358/kepler_display_image.jpg?1295328112 Pitcher of the Day: Matt Tomshaw (this is how he would look if he showed up at your door to take your daughter to prom) http://img.fanbase.com/media.fanbase.com/8/1/459646c6ac4d9369bdf20758f6c63a4dc82641ac.jpg?x=208&y=260&sig=f254eef9cec29f5d091668cf7cb622c8 ----------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 9 Rochester vs. Scranton/WB --- RHP P.J. Walters New Britain @ Binghamton --- LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers vs. Jupiter --- RHP Matthew Summers Beloit @ Quad Cities --- LHP Jason Wheeler Elizabethton @ Johnson City --- RHP Ricardo Arevalo GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles --- ??? ------------------------------------------- Please leave any questions or comments. Thanks for reading!

Today's Twins game was disappointing on several fronts. The Twins lost a chance for a sweep, Ben Revere failed to extend his impressive hit streak, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka continued to look ... confused at second base. Oh well. Let's take a look at the action down on the farm. ROCHESTER 3, SCRANTON/WB 7 Shairon Martis turned in a quality start, tossing 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 2, but did allow 2 home runs. Deolis Guerra had a tough outing. In 1 inning of work he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, striking out 1. Kyle Waldrop lasted only 2/3 of an inning, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Lucas French threw the remaining 1/3 of an inning. Chris Parmelee was 2-for-4 with a double, and is batting .354 at AAA. Matt Carson (12) and Clete Thomas (11) both homered for the Red Wings. Eduardo Escobar and Brian Dinkelman singled. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 3, BINGHAMTON 8 It seems like most of the quality arms have left New Britain. Tonight, Aaron Thompson got the nod, and lasted 5 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 6 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, and struck out 3. Marty Popham allowed 2 runs in 1 and 1/3 innings on 3 hits. Finally, Edgar Ibarra tossed a scoreless frame, striking out 2. Chris Colabello continues to impress. He was 2-for-4 tonight with his 18th home run and his 84th RBI. Oswaldo Arcia was 1-for-2 with his 12th double. He also struck out, walked, and had a sac fly. Aaron Hicks hit his 7th triple and walked. Chris Herrmann and Nathan Hanson also had singles. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 7, JUPITER 2 In this rain-shortened game (7 innings), Pat Dean picked up his 7th win of the season tonight, going 6 solid innings. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 3 and walking 2. Clint Dempster threw a scoreless 7th inning, allowing 2 hits. Daniel Santana was 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, Daniel Rams had 2 singles in 4 at-bats, and 2 RBIs. Lance Ray was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Levi Michael, Josmil Pinto, Michael Gonzales, Andy Leer and Angel Morales all singled. Leer's single drove in 2 runs, as well. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 4, QUAD CITIES 1 Matt Tomshaw picked up his 4th win of the season, turning in a great start. He went 7 and 2/3 innings and gave up 1 unearned run, allowing 6 hits and striking out 4. No free passes. Dallas Gallant earned the save, throwing 1 and 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out 1. JaDamion Williams hit his 5th home run of the season tonight, a solo shot. Jairo Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double. Drew Leachman had 2 singles and a walk in 3 at-bats, and Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Stephen Wickens all singled. Sano (38) and Rosario (14) also had errors this evening. Here's the link to the box score. ELIZABETHTON 5, JOHNSON CITY 2 Brett Lee got the start and went 4 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 7! Kaleb Merck tossed a scoreless 5th, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. Tyler Duffey threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 2. J.T. Chargois allowed 1 run on 2 hits in an inning of work, striking out 1. Luke Bard tossed a perfect 9th. Max Kepler had a huge day. He was 4-for-4 with 2 singles, a double (10) and a home run (8). He drove in 2 runs, as well. Adam Walker hit 2 solo home runs in 4 at-bats, giving him 11 on the season. Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 in his E-Town debut, and Candido Pimentel and Niko Goodrum both singled. Here's the link to the box score. GCL Twins 6, GCL Orioles 7 Felix Jorge started for the Twins today, and went 4 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 2 hits, striking out 4 and walking 1. Gerardo Ramirez worked 1 inning and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Thereafter, Trent Higginbotham gave up 2 runs in 1 inning of work, surrendering 3 hits. Alexander Muren tossed 2 scoreless innings, striking out 1 and walking 1. Anthony Slama, rehabbing an injury, threw 1 perfect inning, and Hung Yi Chen 2 runs in 1 inning of work, on 2 hits. Catcher Jorge Fernandez was 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a run. Great game for him. Joel Licon tripled and walked twice, and the following players all singled: Jeremias Pineda; Jose Ramirez; Dereck Rodriguez; Kelvin Ortiz; John Murphy; Javier Pimentel; and Logan Wade. Here's the link to the box score. ---------------------------------------- Players of the Day for Wednesday, August 8 Hitter of the Day: Max Kepler http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/645/358/kepler_display_image.jpg?1295328112 Pitcher of the Day: Matt Tomshaw (this is how he would look if he showed up at your door to take your daughter to prom) http://img.fanbase.com/media.fanbase.com/8/1/459646c6ac4d9369bdf20758f6c63a4dc82641ac.jpg?x=208&y=260&sig=f254eef9cec29f5d091668cf7cb622c8 ----------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, August 9 Rochester vs. Scranton/WB --- RHP P.J. Walters New Britain @ Binghamton --- LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers vs. Jupiter --- RHP Matthew Summers Beloit @ Quad Cities --- LHP Jason Wheeler Elizabethton @ Johnson City --- RHP Ricardo Arevalo GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles --- ??? ------------------------------------------- Please leave any questions or comments. Thanks for reading!

Great, great post. I'm not a teacher or anything, but you had me hooked with those first couple sentences! Just in the past couple months, I have gotten back into buying packs of cards. Just once in a while, like at Target or something, but it's a good little rush.