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Cody Christie

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  1. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6AG_1T_Rk34/T72NXHyhezI/AAAAAAAABTU/LlIkd5-7lzE/s320/JoeBenson.jpg

    In the last couple of weeks, the Twins have seen a concerning development with two players in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni were demoted to New Britain after starting the year with the Rochester Red Wings. The most concerning thing for both of these players might be the fact that both of them got playing time in the major leagues during last year's dismal season. Each of these players is on a different path but the front office for the Twins has to be frustrated with their performance so far this year.
     
    When the Twins drafted Benson in the second round of the 2006 draft, the team liked his athletic ability and the up side he could offer as a strong defensive player to go along with his offensive skill set. Since that time, Benson has gradually moved through the Twins minor league system and he saw himself be rated as one of the top prospects for the club. In my offseason rankings, I had Benson as the number two rated prospect for the Twins with him finishing behind Miguel Sano.
     
    The 2010 season was a break out year for Mr. Benson as he was awarded with the Twins Minor League Player of the Year. He started the year in Fort Myers and dominated pitching in the Florida State League for 21 games. Before being promoted to New Britain, he hit .294/.375/.588 with 11 doubles and four home runs. The power followed him to New Britain even though his batting average dropped a little bit. He ended the year with a very good final stat line of .259/.343/.538 with 27 home runs, 31 doubles, and 8 triples.
     
    Benson continued to play well last season and the argument could have been made for him to win the minor league player of the year for the second consecutive year. He would make his MLB debut as a September call-up but his first taste of the big leagues came with very little success. He would start the 2012 season in Rochester and it seemed like he should be knocking on the door to the big leagues. This dream was far from the reality.
     
    During his time with the Red Wings, Benson struggled at the plate to the tune of hitting .179/.269/.316 with seven extra-base hits in 28 games. The Twins felt a change of pace was in order and he was sent to New Britain to try and find his swing. Since he arrived in New Britain, his swing has continued to falter and he is batting .156/.250/.500 in eight games. As one of the top prospects for the organization, it is tough to watch him struggle in his seventh season as a member of the Twins farm system.
     
    Rene Tosoni has never been considered a top prospect for the Twins but he has shown some versatility since being a 36th round pick back in 2005. In 2009 and 2010, Tosoni had a batting average around .270 and he was able to show a little bit of power. Last season he spent time going up and down between Rochester and Minnesota but he was never able to find success for the Red Wings.
     
    He started the 2012 campaign back in Rochester and much like Benson, he struggled with trying to find his swing with the Red Wings. He missed some time in April with a lacerated left ring finger but this was still no excuse for his slow start. He went 5-for-5 on Monday and this still only raised his batting line to .167/.267/.197 in 21 games. He is on the way back to New Britain after not playing there since the 2010 campaign.
     
    There has been a lot of talk around Triple-A hitting coach Tom Brunsansky for his ability to work with young hitters on their approach at the plate. His message must not have been getting through to Benson and Tosoni and now they will be in the hands of Rudy Hernandez, the hitting coach for New Britain. It will be interesting to see how they handle the transition back to the Eastern League.
     
    With the Twins lacking a ton of prospects in the upper minor leagues, it is discouraging to see to players will major league service time being sent in the opposite direction. The Twins have seen plenty of players make the trip from Rochester this year but it looks like Benson and Tosoni won't be included in that group anytime soon. It will be important to see how they adjust to their demotion and hopefully they will both be able to regain their form in the coming months.
  2. Cody Christie
    As I put this post together, the Twins are up big on the Chicago White Sox in the eighth inning. Gavin Floyd struggled for the White Sox and the Twins pounced on him for nine runs in the first four innings. Only Ben Revere and Brian Dozier have yet to get involved in the hit parade so it will be interesting to see if they can join the club in the final innings.
     
    PJ Walters is in the middle of his third start since being called up by the Twins. There were some bad starts to innings with Walters letting lead off men reach base but he seemed to be able to coax a double play to erase any of those runners.
     
    With the announcement that Cole DeVries will be making his MLB debut on Thursday, the Twins will start three pitchers in the White Sox series that were in the rotation at Rochester earlier in the year. There are a lot of players from the minor leagues who have been called on during the early portion of the season so let's see who else is making their mark in the minor leagues.
     
    ROCHESTER 1, GWINNETT 3
     
    A couple of runs in the first inning were enough to put the Braves Triple-A affiliate on top for this game with the Red Wings. The Braves put together 12 hits in the contest but left nine men on base during the course of the game. On the other hand, the Red Wings put together five hits and one of those hits was for extra bases.
     
    Chris Parmelee hit his first career home run at Triple-A and his first home run of the year in the second inning. Pedro Florimon had two hits for the second consecutive game. The rest of the Red Wings offense struggled at the plate as the team tried to figure out opposing pitcher Julio Teheran, one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.
     
    All of the runs for the Braves came during Daryl Thompson's time on the mound. In his 3.1 innings of work, Thompson allowed eight hits and three earned runs with a single strike out. Deolis Guerra, Lester Oliveros, and Casey Fien covered the rest of the game for the Red Wings and they didn't allow another run to score. Oliveros was making his third appearance since being called up from New Britain and he pitched two innings while racking up four strikeouts.
     
    NEW BRITAIN 3, BINGHAMTON 0
    There were a lot of zeros on the board for both teams on Tuesday night but the Rock Cats were finally able to break through in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the first lead of the game. They chased the starter from the mound and were able to add to their lead with three runs on the board.
     
    In one of his best starts of the season, Logan Darnell scattered seven hits over the course of seven innings but he was able to escape trouble. He didn't allow a run to cross the plate and he struck out four while not giving up a walk. After allowing nine combined earned runs in his last two starts, it was nice to see Darnell bounce back with a positive outing that put his team in position to win.
     
    Chris Herrmann provided the majority of the offense for the Rock Cats in this game. He put together a 4-for-4 night and he drove in two of New Britain's three runs. Estarlin De Los Santos and James Beresford each had two hits and Evan Bigley started the scoring by hitting his second home run of the year in the seventh inning.
     
    FORT MYERS 2, CLEARWATER 1
    It was a big day for catchers in the Twins system as Dan Rohlfing joined Herrmann as the offensive hero for his team. The Miracle struggled to score runs for most of this game but Rohlfing was about to put together a 3-for-4 night while driving in both runs for the Miracle. With two doubles in this game, he has five doubles in his last six games.
     
    Marty Popham pitched a good game for Fort Myers but he was unable to factor into the final decision. In his six innings on the mound, he saw one run cross the plate and he struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes picked up his first win of the year by tossing two scoreless innings to back-up the strong start from Popham.
     
    Daniel Santana and Oswaldo Arcia added two hits apiece to help pace the offense for the Miracle. Last year's first round pick Levi Michael had his first hit in his last four games. Ricky Bowen picked up his fourth save of the year by striking out the side in the ninth inning.
     
    BELOIT (Off Day)
     
    The Snappers enjoyed an off day on Tuesday before starting a home series against Cedar Rapids. Miguel Sano has only one home run in his last ten games and he is batting .094/.216/.188 during that stretch. It would be nice to see him go on another run as the weather starts to warm up in the Midwest.
     
    ---
     
    Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 22, 2012
     

    Hitter of the Day- Chris Herrmann



    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kVanNywXpws/T7w5_bSFthI/AAAAAAAABTA/jYQA2DXZ-Ek/s320/ChrisHerrmann.jpg


    Pitcher of the Day- Logan Darnell



    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zgffM-pKJIg/T7w7E6c4TMI/AAAAAAAABTI/K1z2Lv6c3-o/s1600/LoganDarnell.jpg

    ---
     
    A Look Ahead- Wednesday, May 23th Schedule
     
    Rochester (Off Day)
    New Britain vs. Binghamton- RHP David Bromberg
    Fort Myers vs. Clearwater- LHP Pat Dean
    Beloit vs. Cedar Rapids- RHP Matt Summers
     
    ---
     
    If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, leave them in the comments section and Seth or I will try to answer them.
  3. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    As with all Tuesday's for the rest of the minor league baseball season, I will be writing the minor league update for the TwinsDaily website later tonight. So make sure to check back for my post on all of the happenings across the Twins farm system. Until then, here are a few "Tuesday Morning Tidbits" to keep you satisfied until this evening.



    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ia5oCK2g01I/T7t2fTZ8rFI/AAAAAAAABS0/kJvsZMC0ec4/s320/LewFord.jpg


    Gibson set to pitch off of the mound

    Kyle Gibson, the Twins 2009 first round pick, has been slowly working his way back from Tommy John surgery and it is getting closer to him being able to pitch off of the mound. According to his Facebook account, he will be throwing from 135 feet this week and 150 feet next week before stepping on the mound for the first time on June 4. He will get to throw 15 pitches in his first bullpen session.



     
    During the beginning of the year, Terry Ryan said that Gibson was on pace to pitch in minor league games by the end of the summer so his progression is nice to see. With many current members of the Twins starting rotation slated to be free agents, the Twins might need Gibson to be ready for the big leagues in 2013.
     
    It will be interesting to see if the Twins follow a similar plan to Stephen Strasburg for Gibson's first year back following the procedure. The Nationals are limiting the amount of innings Strasburg will pitch and they followed a similar plan with starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman. It seems like the Twins will take any starting pitcher that can keep them in a game at this point so Gibson's recovery could be key for next year.
     

    Ford continues on comeback trail



    Former fan favorite Lew Ford (see photo above) has been bouncing around baseball leagues in recent years. This has seen him play all over the country in independant leagues and even in other countries like Japan and Mexico as he tried to make it back for one more shot at the big leagues. For a 35-year old scrappy outfielder, this can be a challenge and making it through to a 25-man roster would be even harder for him to do.
     
    Over the weekend, the news came out that Ford signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and he was assigned to their Triple-A club in Norfolk. In his first four games with the Tides, he has batted .375/.444/.500 with two doubles and two RBI in 16 at-bats. He also has muliple hit games in two of his first four games
     
     
     
    With the Orioles being in first place, it would be great to see Ford get a call-up to help the club push for a division crown. Ford will always have a special place in the hearts of Twins fans so watch this video of him hitting a double with his new team and get ready to yell "LLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW."
     
     



    Butera throwing heat



    For the second year in a row, the Twins were forced to use a position player on the mound to cover the last inning of a blowout loss. In 2011, Michael Cuddyer took the field against the Rangers and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Cuddyer left the team in free agency so the Twins had to look for a different arm on Sunday afternoon. Drew Butera stepped up and pitched a pretty decent frame for the Twins.
     
     
    In Cuddyer's outing, Texas was able to mount a threat against him on the strength of a couple hits and a walk. During his inning of work, Cuddyer showed a variety of pitches with his fastball averaging around 87 mph. He mixed in a cutter, a slider, and a change up but for the most part he tried to just throw the ball over the plate to get the Twins out of a terrible 20-6 loss.
     
     


    Compared to Cuddyer, Butera looked like Nolan Ryan when he stepped on the mound. The radar gun had Butera throwing as high as 94 mph with his fastball and he worked a decent change-up into the mix. With the good arm Butera has shown behind the plate, it could be assumed that he would have a little something behind his pitches. His fastball averaged close to 90 mph and his change-up sat around 79 mph. He even got former Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez to strike out swinging in very Gomez like fashion.
  4. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jZfVSkFdIc/T7osi8xBYuI/AAAAAAAABSo/T9Dddu6sgOw/s320/ap-201205201432523667858.jpg

    The Twins didn't put up much of a fight on Sunday afternoon and their four game winning streak came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Brewers. When the starting pitcher doesn't make it out of the second inning in a game following an extra-inning affair, it is going to be tough for a team to find success. The Twins offense did score the first run of the game and they were able to put some runs on the board in their last at-bat but the innings in between were ugly.
     
    While the front office of the Twins might have been cringing when Twins pitchers were on the mound, their eyes should have been clearly fixed on the starting pitcher for the Brewers in this game. Zack Greinke had been a standout pitcher in the AL Central for multiple seasons with the Royals so the Twins are well aware of his outstanding ability on the mound. On Sunday, Greinke was given a big lead and he knew what to do with it by pitching into the seventh inning and allowing a single earned run to cross the plate.
     
    When the 2012 season comes to an end, Greinke will hit the open market as one of the most sought after free agent pitchers. He will turn 29-years old during the offseason and many teams will be lining up at his door to inquire about what it will take for him to sign with their club. According to sources, there have been no recent talks between the Brewers and Greinke. It sounds like the Brewers would like to resign their ace but money could be a big factor for a team playing in one of the smallest markets in baseball.
     
    Most projections of Greinke's value as a free agent have him getting upwards of $100 million when he signs on the dotted line this offseason. The San Francisco Giants recently signed Matt Cain to the largest contract in history for a right-handed pitcher. The six-year deal was for $127.5 million with $112.5 million being guaranteed and it will keep Cain in San Francisco through the prime of his career. Since Greinke is only a year older than Cain, Greinke's deal could be structured very similar to the Cain deal and that would put the Brewers out of the running to keep Greinke around.
     
    If the Brewers are out of the running, this leaves other teams with the opportunity to swoop in and add Greinke to their starting rotation. The Twins should be one of the team's taking a hard look at bringing Greinke into the fold for the 2013 season. Coaches, fans, and the front office have been frustrated with the performance of many of the pitchers that have been in the starting rotation for the Twins this year. Jason Marquis and Francisco Liriano have been disasters, Carl Pavano has been forced to pitch through some pain in his shoulder, and Nick Blackburn has been very underwhelming when he has been able to pitch.
     
    Lucky enough for the Twins most of the starting staff will be free agents at season's end. This means the team can do a complete overhaul of their rotation for the start of next year. The extra money freed up by letting these players go could also allow the Twins to go after a free agent starting pitcher like Zack Greinke. Liriano makes $5.5 million, Pavano earns $9.0 million, and Marquis signed this past offseason for $3.0 million. If you add all of those up with the $6.5 million lost on Scott Baker this year, the Twins will have quite the chunk of change to spend on pitching for 2013.
     
    In the past, Greinke has battled with some issues surrounding anxiety and he was even forced to leave the Royals for a short time to try and figure out a solution to these problems. This battle with stressed related issues has allowed writers to predict that Greinke might like to stay away from some of the major markets in baseball. His issues with anxiety might only be compounded if he were to sign and play in New York or Los Angeles. This could give the Twins a better opportunity to sign Greinke because he has pitched his entire career in the Midwest and he is already familiar with the AL Central.
     
    Since Johan Santana was traded away before the 2008 season, the Twins have been searching for an ace of their staff. Greinke could be that player but a big time contract for a starting pitcher always comes with some risk. In this case, I think the risk is worth taking and the Twins should go all in to sign Greinke for the foreseeable future.
  5. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Wait for it...
     
    Are you ready, yet?
     
    Don't adjust your monitor but the Twins just swept a two game series in Detroit. That's not a typo either.
     
    Over the course of the two games, the Tigers were a little error prone with six mistakes and the Twins were able to capitalize for five unearned runs. It has been great to see Trevor Plouffe find some semblance of power with two home runs in recent games. Maybe his new bald head is doing him some good. Justin Morneau and Ben Revere are back with the Twins and each of them has returned to their old ways with Morneau hitting a home run and Revere stealing a base.
     
    The Twins head to Milwaukee for the weekend and their first interleague series of the year. I am on the fence about whether or not interleague play should still be part of baseball but it seems like it is here to stay for the time being. It is always intertaining to watch the American League pitchers attempt to bat. From the sound of it, Jason Marquis could be the Twins diamond in the rough when it comes to pitchers at the plate.
     
    Enjoy this collection of links from the week and have a super weekend!
     

    There have been plenty of things to be annoyed with this season so read this post about the factors for frustration with the Twins.
    Joe Mauer seems to be spending a lot of time at first base and it could be possible that he is breaking down.
    Puckett's Pond takes a look at what type of player the Twins should draft with the number two pick.
    An interesting question was raised, "Are we ever biased towards umpire bias?"
    It has been tough to watch Jason Marquis on the mound this year and it can leave that sinking feeling in your stomach.
    It defiantly isn't time to pull the plug yet.
    One of the best stories to come out this week was about Anthony Swarzak and his search for Sasquatch.


    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFxJm9U3ZGM/T7WzrUS_YHI/AAAAAAAABSc/-PN9ZEYvRbg/s320/SwarsakSasquatch.jpg

     

    This collection of old time baseball pictures is hilarious to see.
    With open seats at Target Field, I have snuck down to a better location more than once. Looks like that could be a bad idea at other ballparks.
    One of the most entertaining baseball people on Twitter, Ozzie Guillen, is calling it quits from the social media world.
    Only four closers have yet to blow a save this year and one of them happens to be the ninth inning man for the Twins.
    The Baseball Outsider was at two games in Beloit this week and he gives full reports on what he saw from two of the top prospects in the system.
    Another Beloit player, AJ Pettersen, got some press on the FSN North site.
    On of the top pitching prospects in the organization, Alex Wimmers, is trying to avoid surgery on his elbow by rehabbing it. This sounds like a familiar story for Twins pitchers.
    The 2013 All-Star Game location was finally announced this week and this means the next announcement could be that the Twins get 2014.
    A mysterious letter leaked out from Dave St. Peter's office this week. Read it for a good laugh.
    If you don't check out Minor League Ball, you should! Here's a post about Brian Dozier from earlier this week.
    Bert Blyleven was not happy about the way one of his former teammates was fired by the Angels this week.
    Jack Morris celebrated a birthday this week (along with Justin Morneau and Brian Dozier).

    My Weekly Rundown
     

    Monday: Concerns with Pavano's velocity continue to mount
    Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits
    Tuesday's Trip through the Minors
    Wednesday: Should the Twins have started with this roster?
    Thursday: Soon one year has passed...

    Video of the Week: This Little League umpire in Illinois needs to tone down his strikeout call a little bit. Very extreme but at least the kids should know if they are out or not.
  6. Cody Christie
    One year ago today, the Twins lost one of the most important people in the history of the franchise. It is hard to believe that one year has already come and gone. I put together the following poem to honor Harmon Killebrew and his lasting legacy.



    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bACqUvmqVSU/T7VNM36wvrI/AAAAAAAABSQ/LylJsplGlTk/s320/Harmon_Killebrew_AP6303011347_620x350.jpgIt's been one year since you have come and gone,
    But your impact is still felt like the morning dawn.
     
    Even though your mighty swing was something to behold,
    Your gentle nature was something that never got old.
     
    The first hero of a generation to call Minnesota home,
    You were a star outside before the team moved to the Dome.
     
    Your number three will only be worn by one Twin,
    And hearing your home run calls brings chills to my skin.
     
    You were a gentle giant; a man among boys,
    Chants of your name were much more than noise.



    I hope that big game in the sky is still going fine,



    Because your mark on the Twins continues to shine.



    It's hard to think you will never be return,
    And players on this team have plenty to learn.
     
    When I sit outside at a ballgame under the open sky,
    Your presence still brings a tear to my eye.
     
    Thanks for your time and the mark that you made,
    Your memory with fans will never fade.


  7. Cody Christie
    The Twins put up a lackluster effort at home in getting swept during a short two-game series with the first place Cleveland Indians. Derek Lowe looked like Cy Young on the mound and the Twins continued to hit ground ball after ground ball to fall further behind the Tribe. Jason Marquis gave up three home runs in the fifth inning and five runs over five innings to put the Twins in a hole they would never be able to get out of in the game.
     
    Ron Gardenhire shifted up the line-up for this contest and moved Joe Mauer to the second spot in the order. This meant Brian Dozier had to move and he was placed in the fifth spot for the Twins. The move down in the line-up didn't seem to impact Dozier because he ended the contest with half of the team's six hits. Dozier showed some power again by hitting his second double of the year and his batting average continues to climb.
     
    Besides Dozier, there has to be some good news in other parts of the Twins organization. So let's peruse the minor leagues as we take Tuesday's trip through the Twins farm system.
     
    ROCHESTER 5, LOUISVILLE 4
     
    The Red Wings trailed for most of the game on Tuesday night but a late rally helped Rochester to come out on top versus Louisville. With the Red Wings down by one run in the bottom of the eighth, the team mounted a two run rally to come out victorious. Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas started the inning with singles and Danny Valencia grounded out to tie the game. Later in the inning Sean Burroughs had his second hit of the night, a double, to score the go-ahead run.
     
    Ben Revere continued his hot hitting for the Red Wings with a three hit night. He has six multi-hit games out of the last eight times he has been in the line-up for Rochester. Matt Carson had two hits in the contest and one of those knocks was his team leading 11th double of the year. Carson is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak that he will look to continue tomorrow against the Bats.
     
    Luke French started the contest for the Red Wings and he allowed four runs over the course of five innings. The bullpen took care of the rest of the innings and helped to put zeros on the board so the offense could mount their comeback. Esmerling Vasquez pitched three shutout innings while allowing one hit. Tyler Robertson and Casey Fien were asked to cover the ninth and they managed to shut the door on the Bats.
     
    NEW BRITAIN -, NEW HAMPSHIRE - (PPD)
     
    The Rock Cats had a double-header scheduled for Tuesday but both contests were postponed. New Britain and New Hampshire will attempt to play two games tomorrow to make up for the action they missed today.
     
    FORT MYERS 2, CHARLOTTE 3
     
    Unlike the Red Wings, the Miracle saw their opponent score late in the game to take the lead and steal a win in Fort Myers. The Stone Crabs took an early lead in the top of the first inning but the Miracle answered with their own run in the bottom half of the frame. Three consecutive singles from Jairo Perez, Oswaldo Arcia, and Daniel Rohlfing plated allowed the Miracle to tie the contest.
     
    The only other run of the game for the Miracle came in the bottom of the fifth when Daniel Santana tripled to lead-off the inning. Levi Michael was the next batter and he drove in Santana with a sacrifice fly to center field. Anderson Hidalgo along with Perez and Arcia would be the only players with more than one hit.
     
    It was almost like the Miracle had two different starters on Monday night with Miguel Munoz throwing four innings and being followed by Cole Nelson tossing four innings of his own. Munoz did okay by allowing two earned runs on six hits with a couple of strikeouts. Nelson was excellent by striking out five and only allowing one runner to reach base. Ricky Bowen took the loss for the Miracle after giving up a double to start the ninth inning.
     
    BELOIT 1, CLINTON 0
     
    There was a pitching duel in Beloit on Tuesday night and the Snappers were lucky enough to come away with the one run they would need in the late innings of the game. The LumberKings had one base runner make it as far as second base and that happened all the way back in the fourth inning so the pitching for Beloit was the story of the game.
     
    The only player you needed to know on this night was Tim Shibuya because he pitched a complete game shutout for the Snappers. Shibuya was masterful by striking out nine in the contest and giving up three hits in the game. One of the other impressive things might have been his control of the plate by not giving up a walk in the entire contest.
     
    The Snappers put together seven hits but only one run was able to be pushed across the plate. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Beloit began the inning with Rory Rhodes and Jairo Rodriguez getting walked to start the threat. JaDamion Williams singled later in the frame to score the lone run the Snappers would need to back the impressive outing from Shibuya.
     
    ---
     
    Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 15, 2012
     
    Pitcher of the Day- Tim Shibuya

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uw0pNV7IQVc/T7MUhyAxPbI/AAAAAAAABRo/-HePg7GtezE/s1600/TimShibuya.jpg 
    Hitter of the Day- Sean Burroughs
     
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EpkhQjEojy4/T7MUdFCXQ9I/AAAAAAAABRg/bgJ84Sk__5Y/s320/SeanBurroughs.jpg
     



    ---
     
    A Look Ahead- Wednesday, May 16th Schedule
     
    Rochester vs. Louisville- RHP Jeff Manship
    New Britain vs. New Hampshire (1)- LHP Logan Darnell
    New Britain vs. New Hampshire (2)- RHP Steve Hirschfeld
    Fort Myers vs. Charlotte- RHP Jhon Garcia
    Beloit vs. Quad City- LHP Jason Wheeler
     
    ---
     
    If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, leave them in the comments section and Seth or I will try to answer them.
  8. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    As with most Tuesday's for the rest of the season, I am in charge of writing the minor league update for the Twins Daily website. This means I won't have a very big post here this morning but here are some of the news and notes that have been discussed with the Twins.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ivWOPrdLBw/T7JANCG-HiI/AAAAAAAABRU/E1gYVaQJzCM/s320/Ramosinjury.jpg


    Casilla gets new role as utility player


    Anyone who has watched the Twins since Brian Dozier got called up could tell what the plan was for the team in the middle infield. Apparently the message never got sent to Alexi Casilla and he had a meeting with Ron Gardenhire to discuss his role with the club. Gardenhire basically told him that his role is the utility player at this point and he will fit into the line-up when the team needs to give some of the other players a break.
     
    The infield situation seems set with Dozier at shortstop, Jamey Carroll at second base, and Trevor Plouffe at third base. Since Plouffe took over for Danny Valencia at third, he hasn't been ripping the cover off of the ball so it will be interesting to see if Casilla can find some more playing time at the hot corner.




    Former Twins player Ramos out for the year



    Wilson Ramos, the center piece of the Matt Capps trade,
    tore his ACL and will need knee surgery to repair his injury. The young catcher made headlines this offseason after he was kidnapped in his native Venezuela. Now one of the best young catchers in the game will miss the rest of the 2012 season as he tries to rehab a tough injury for a catcher.  
     
     
    The trade of Ramos for Capps has been widely criticized by Twins fans especially after the 2011 performance of Capps. Ramos finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last season and now his club was fighting for first place in the NL East to start the 2012 campaign. The loss of Ramos combined with other injuries to the Nationals power bats could make it tough for the team to keep up the pace they are on.
     
    Morneau takes batting practice



    Over the weekend, Justin Morneau had tested his injured wrist by taking some swings off of a tee. That step in his recovery process seemed to go fine and the next step was to take some swings during batting practice. This took place on Monday evening and it was the first time in two weeks that he had stepped into the cage.
     
     
     
    From all reports, it seemed like the session went well and Morneau is one step closer to being back in the middle of the line-up for the Twins. There is still some soreness in his wrist but he thinks he can play through it at this point. Personally, I don't like the way that sounds and it seems like he might be trying to rush himself back. He is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday but the Twins aren't sure of when he will be put back on the roster.



  9. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zw_MlMY_n8g/T7Ds4BCIBCI/AAAAAAAABRI/jscxapm3W00/s320/PavanoThrowing.jpg

    Word came out over the weekend that Carl Pavano underwent an MRI on his right shoulder to see if there was anything wrong with this important area for his throwing arm. The report came back saying he has a strained interior shoulder capsule and he could need a cortisone shot after his start on Monday night. At this point, he is not expected to miss any time for the Twins but he is sending his MRI to another doctor for a second opinion to make sure it is nothing serious.
     
    The reason for all of this concern around Pavano has been the large decrease in his velocity to start the 2012 campaign. Sometimes it can take pitchers a few starts to ramp up their velocity at the beginning of the year but he has already made seven starts this season for the Twins. Most of the offseason rust should be gone by now and his velocity should be closer to normal. This wasn't the case and the Twins needed to find some answers in relation to Pavano.
     
    During the last five years of his career, Pavano has averaged a fastball at 89.7 mph and last year he sat around 88.7 mph for the season. Velocity is usually going to drop as a player starts to get older and he has more wear and tear on his throwing arm. The problem for Pavano and the Twins has been the fact that the 36-year old pitcher has seen a drop in his fastball velocity to around 86.1 mph. This large drop in velocity can make a pitcher very ineffective against professional hitters and the results have shown on the field.
     
    In the last two seasons, Pavano has been the workhorse of the Twins pitching staff by throwing over 220 inning in 2010 and 2011. His ERA and WHIP have gone up in each of the last two years but he has 10 complete games and three shutouts during that time frame. His consistency was something the Twins could count on in the Target Field era and he could have put up much better numbers last season with a competent defensive unit behind him.
     
    The Twins seem to have a better defense lined up behind Pavano this year with the additions of Jamey Carroll and Brian Dozier. So if he was able to generate more ground balls, the defensive should be able to make the plays for Pavano to be successful. His first two full seasons with the Twins saw Pavano generate ground balls over 50% of the time. He has seen that number drop significantly to 44.8% in his seven starts so far for the Twins in 2012. The Twins outfield defense has some holes this year so the increase in fly balls from Pavano could also be a concern.
     
    With his drop in velocity, Pavano has been forced to change in pitching philosophy on the mound. For his career, Pavano has thrown fastballs as 62.0% of his pitches, sliders for 18.6% of the time, and change ups for 18.3% of his throws. His age and change in velocity have forced him to rely more on his off-speed pitches in the last two seasons and this switch has continued so far this year. His fastball has lost some velocity and Pavano has spent less time throwing his heater (58.2%) and started to throw more of his change up (25.4%).
     
    The mounting struggles for Pavano make it hard not to think about his future in baseball. The aging pitcher is not under contract for next season and his time as an impact starter might already be behind him. There is still plenty of time left in the season for Pavano to iron out the kinks with his shoulder issue but age can make recovery harder for a pitcher.
     
    Baseball has seen Jamie Moyer defy age and injuries to pitch in the starting rotation for the Rockies at age 49. With all the openings the Twins will have in their rotation for next year, the Twins can only hope that Pavano is able follow in the footsteps of Moyer and continue to pitch effectively as he gets closer to 40-years old.
  10. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Another week has come and gone for Twins Territory and the hometown nine have started to stir the pot a little bit when it comes to their roster. Brian Dozier, the organization's minor league player of the year from 2011, made his debut earlier in the week. He has been impressive so far and the Twins hope he can continue to play at a high level.
     
    After leading all American League third basemen in games played in 2011, Danny Valencia has found himself back in Triple-A. In 2010, Valencia looked great for the Twins but he has failed to get back to that form in the last two years. His minor league track record suggested something like this might happen and now the Twins might try and trade Mr. Valencia.
     
    Speaking of not being in form, Francisco Liriano has struggled mightily for the entire year and it was time for a change. After the team skipped his spot in the rotation, he still failed to produce results on the mound. For the time being, he has been moved to the bullpen and the front office called up PJ Walters to take his spot in the rotation.
     
    The Blue Jays come to town this weekend with a chance to gain ground in their division since the two teams in front of them will play each other. Toronto's best slugger Jose Bautista has been struggling to start the year and much like with the Angels and Albert Pujols, the Twins don't want to wake the sleeping giant.
     

    Baseball America released their first version of a mock draft. Who will the Twins take at number 2? Their pick may surprise you...
    Standford's Mark Appel will be one of the first pitchers selected in the draft but he doesn't seem to be pitching up to expectations.
    John Sickles at Minor League Ball put together his supplemental round mock draft where the Twins have two high picks.
    Chris Parmelee made the roster out of spring training and now he has been sitting on the bench. So what happened to Chris Parmelee?
    The Twins have seemed to rush some prospects to the majors in recent memory so it might seem like the club is opening their presents too early.
    It's looking like the Twins will be sellers at the trading deadline and Twins Fan From Afar looks at the time of players they should target.
    Along the same lines as above, The Twins Armchair GM writes about the possibility of the Nationals still being interested in Denard Span.
    If you don't know a lot about Brian Dozier, make sure to read this post by Seth Stohs.
    A blind man named Reggie Deal is going to 30 parks in 30 days and he will be at Target Field on Friday.
    Former Twins pitcher Dan Osterbrock had some bad words to say about his former team.
    Alexi Casilla is near the top of the leaderboard in glove flips so far in 2012.
    This list of least productive positions in baseball has too many Twins on it.
    A few weeks ago I posted a picture of Robert Andino and how playing in Baltimore had taken away his smile. Well the Orioles are near the top of the division and this means his smile came back.


    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xje3IeZgtjI/T6w-Bb6nZLI/AAAAAAAABQ8/d52BODzZcQ4/s400/andinorevived.jpg

     

    Scott Diamond had a great first start for the Twins but what can be expected from him going forward?
    Pitching to contact seems to be the Twins method for selecting pitchers but is it a good thing?
    A high school baseball team in Arizona forfeited their championship game because the other team had a girl starting in the middle infield.
    Would Twins fans want to see the Pohlad family sell the team?
    Jim Pohlad did come out and voice his support of Ron Gardenhire and Terry Ryan this week.

    My Weekly Rundown
     

    Monday: Dozier won't be savior of Twins offensive woes
    Tuesday: Tuesday Night Minor League Round-Up
    Wednesday: Ranking the best debuts by current Twins
    Thursday: Guerra moving quickly toward Target Field

    Video of the Week: Earlier this week,
    . I think he would have went for four outs if he had the opportunity. Pretty sweet!
  11. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-divMdGG9EGU/T6sm7FLOPXI/AAAAAAAABQw/8BPw2hz0XLM/s320/DeolisGuerra.jpg

    When the Twins traded Johan Santana before the start of the 2008 season, they were hoping to get a king's ransom in return for their two-time Cy Young winning left-hander. If a person believes the rumors that were swirling at the time, the Red Sox and the Yankees might have been interested in trading for Santana. In the end, the Twins settled for the offer from the New York Mets and the rest is history.
     
    The package of players the Twins received included Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey. Out of that group, only Gomez has played at the big league level for the Twins but he was sent to Milwaukee as part of the JJ Hardy trade in 2009. All of the players that were part of the deal are no longer part of the Twins organization except for Guerra and he represents the Twins last hope to get something out of the Santana deal.
     
    Guerra, a 23-year old right-handed pitcher, has played the last five seasons in the Twins organization and he has worked his way to Triple-A in 2012. When he started with the Twins, he was a 19-year old starting pitcher with some upside for the Fort Myers Miracle. Over the next handful of seasons, his ERA and WHIP would continue to climb as he moved his way up the ladder of the Twins farm system. By the beginning of 2011, it was clear that a change needed to be made for Guerra to find success on the field.
     
    This change came in the form of moving from being a starter to starting to be used as a relief option out of the bullpen. Last year he was on the mound for 37 games and in 27 of those contests he was used as a relief pitcher. He pitched 95 innings and gave up 102 hits with a high 1.368 WHIP for the Rock Cats. There were some challenges with his transition to a new role after being a starting pitcher for almost his entire professional career.
     
    At the start of the 2012 campaign, Guerra knew he was going to be a relief pitcher and he set out with something to prove to himself and the organization. The front office for the Twins started him off in New Britain and he quickly showed that his second time in the Eastern League was going to be a breeze. In seven appearances for the Rock Cats, he gave up five hits and one earned run for a 0.71 ERA. This made the Twins confident enough to promote him to Rochester for the first time since 2010.
     
    For the last two weeks, Guerra has been at Triple-A and the jump up a level has not impacted his performance. In his four appearances, he has given up six hits with 10 strikeouts in nine innings. The most impressive statistic might be the fact that he has yet to surrender a run with the Red Wings. In all of his outings, he has been asked to pitch more than one inning and he has pitched over two innings in three of his four appearances.
     
    The Twins went through a roster shake-up last night by sending Danny Valencia to Rochester and designating Matt Maloney for assignment. Francisco Liriano will be moved to the bullpen and PJ Walters will enter the starting rotation. Utility man Darin Mastroianni is set to take the place of Valencia on the 25-man roster. Guerra also happens to be on the 40-man roster but he wasn't part of these recent roster moves.
     
    One of the reasons Guerra probably wasn't part of these moves was that the bullpen has been one of the only bright spots for the Twins this year. Jared Burton has been better than expected and Brian Duensing's transition back to a relief role has gone fairly smooth. Matt Capps added a cutter and this pitch has looked really good in his last couple of outings. The addition of Liriano to the bullpen will mean that Guerra might have to wait a little bit longer before joining the bullpen for the Twins. But it seems that it will only be a matter of time before Guerra will be making his big league debut.
  12. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hj-BLOmvgjU/T5fjG_3qgEI/AAAAAAAABNQ/oj_3fiw0GF4/s320/Duensing.jpg

    For the second season in a row, the Twins have taken a player who had previously served as a starter and given him a prominent role in the bullpen. Last year the Twins were very pleased with the performance of Glen Perkins as he developed into their most reliable arm in the bullpen. In a lot of tough situations, Ron Gardenhire turned to Perkins to get the team out of a jam. But in the middle of a miserable season, it was hard to see the true value of those performances.
     
    Flash forward to 2012 and the Twins have shifted Brian Duensing into a role as one of their most important relief arms out of the bullpen. Through the first 18 games of the season for the Twins, Duensing has appeared in half of them. There has only been one game in which he gave up any earned runs and he has been primarily used in the eighth inning. Out of the team's five wins, Duensing has appeared in four of those games so the team is using him when they need him the most.
     
    Last season, Twins fans were astonished with the ability of Perkins to ramp up his velocity with his new spot in the bullpen. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Perkins was primarily used as a starter for the Twins. His fastball velocity sat around 90.5 mph in 2008 and in the next year it dropped to 89.7 mph. These are not numbers that jump off of the page at you. But if a pitcher is able to control this pitch and have some movement on it, he can still be successful. Take a look at the change in his velocity as he started to find his spot in the bullpen.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4HdrY_DceMw/T5fhFLXY-UI/AAAAAAAABNI/eb4LO_KGNdQ/s320/PerkinsVelocity.jpg

    Much like Perkins before him, Duensing has spent a little bit of time as an arm out of the bullpen before. This means he has experience with the current role he is filling. But in many of the previous seasons when Duensing has started the year in the bullpen, he has found his way into the starting rotation by the end of the year. The least amount of games that Duensing has started in a year was nine games in 2009. He hasn't stayed in the bullpen for an entire year to show what he can do as a full-time relief option.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xp__Tla5jDk/T5fldf7UAII/AAAAAAAABNY/y6UoOjvRNNw/s320/DuensingVelocity.jpg

    Duensing hopes to find himself in the same territory as Perkins by the end of the year. The Twins were so impressed with the way Perkins looked in the bullpen that the club signed him to a contract extension during spring training. He will now be with the team through the end of the 2015 season and the organization has a option for the 2016 year. If Duensing is able to find similar success to Perkins in 2012, the team might consider giving Duensing a long-term deal. He will be arbitration eligible for the first time in 2013 so there is still time for the Twins to figure out what they have in Duensing.
     
    In an ideal world the Twins might have wanted Duensing to spend the entire year in the bullpen so he could be more accustom to this job. With all of the issues so far in the starting rotation, it makes it hard to imagine a situation where the Twins wouldn't have to turn to Duensing as a starter at some point in 2012. Scott Baker is out for the year, Francisco Liriano has been a disaster, and Nick Blackburn has been trying to come back from an injury. The Twins have already put Liam Hendriks into the rotation and Anthony Swarzak continues to be an option for making spot starts. In the minor leagues, Scott Diamond is off to a tremendous start but it is hard to imagine him being a long-term solution.
     
    It is nice to see Duensing showing the ability to transition back to the bullpen after spending most of last year in the starting rotation. There might be a chance that he moves back to the starting rotation at some point in 2012. But at this point, it looks like the team will give Duensing every opportunity to be a dominant relief option. If Perkins is in line to be the closer in the near future for the Twins, Duensing could be a dominant set-up man leading to the ninth inning.
  13. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SOYxL2_fvlE/T6pjD9ZULII/AAAAAAAABQk/n8Atpfe8iv4/s320/DozierFlip.jpg

    Dozier premiered for the Twins on Monday night and he seems to be making a mark on the line-up in this early part of his career. The debut of a player in the big leagues can be a moment full of anxiousness and hope. For most players, they have been working toward this moment since they were a child and the first steps on the field can be a magical moment.
     
    The first two games have looked good for Dozier but the other players currently on the Twins 25-man roster have all been in his shoes before. How did these players fare in their debut? Was it better or worse than what Dozier put together on Monday evening?
     
    Below you will find some information about the debuts of all of the position players that are currently on the Twins 25-man roster. This list goes in order of when the players made their debut. There were some big name prospects and some lesser known players but each of them have reached their ultimate goal of making it to the big leagues.
     
    Jamey Carroll - Debut: September 11, 2002
    Stat Summary: 2-for-3, R, BB
    Carroll is the first of a couple different players on this list to debut for a team other than the Twins. His first MLB action was in the jersey of the Montreal Expos. He did get to play his first game at Wrigley Field so that must have been a cool experience. One of the toughest things could have been the fact that it was the one year anniversary of 9/11. The Cubs would be stronger on this day and end up winning by a 6-3 score.
     
    Justin Morneau - Debut: June 10, 2003
    Stat Summary: 2-for-4, 2 singles
    On a day when the Twins would only put together three hits, Morneau was able to get two of those knocks for the team. Since the Twins still had Doug Mientkiewicz, Morneau was relegated to designated hitter for his firs start with the team. The Rockies shut out the Twins but Morneau was able to show a glimpse of the player he would become in the coming years.
     
    Joe Mauer - Debut: April 5, 2004
    Stat Summary: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB
    Mauer's debut had been anticipated since he was taken with the number one pick in the 2001 MLB Draft. He did little to take away from the hype as he put together a solid performance at the plate. The game went to extra-innings and the Twins would win the game on a walk-off home run off of the bat of Shannon Stewart.
     
    Josh Willingham - Debut: July 6, 2004
    Stat Summary: 0-for-3
    It wasn't a perfect debut for Willingham as he was held without a hit in his MLB debut for the Florida Marlins. Players like Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera would pick up the slack from Willingham and the Marlins would end up on top in this game. The very next night Willingham put together a 2-for-2 game so the hits would come just not in his debut.
     
    Ryan Doumit - Debut: June 5, 2005
    Stat Summary: 0-for-1
    Doumit was asked to make his debut in a pitch hitting opportunity for a pitcher from the Pirates. He only saw one pitch and he put the ball in play so it was a very quick debut for Mr. Doumit. The Pirates won this close contest with the Braves by a score of 5-2 but Doumit didn't have a lot to do with the outcome of the game.
     
    Alexi Casilla - Debut: September 1, 2006
    Stat Summary: 0-for-0, BB
    Casilla had a pretty uneventful debut as he was asked to pinch hit for Nick Punto in the late stages of this game. He would draw a walk in his only at-bat but the Twins were down by eight runs before Casilla got into the game. In the first few weeks of his career, Casilla would primary be used off the bench and he wouldn't get his first start until September 28.
     
    Denard Span - Debut: April 6, 2008
    Stat Summary: 0-for-2, BB
    Span started in the ninth spot in the batting order for the Twins on this day and there were some bumps along the way. He did manage to coax a walk in one of his at-bats but there would be no first hit in this contest for Mr. Span. The Twins would fall to the Royals by a score of 3-1 and the Twins didn't know they had their leadoff hitter of the future making his debut.
     
    Drew Butera - Debut: April 9, 2010
    Stat Summary: 0-for-3, 3 SO
    Twins fans know what to expect from Butera by this point and his debut was a bad omen. He struck out in all three plate appearances he made for the very unwanted hat trick. The good news is the Twins were able to come back and win the game against the White Sox in extra-innings.
     
    Trevor Plouffe - Debut: May 21, 2010
    Stat Summary: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
    The Twins went on an offensive rampage in Plouffe's debut by scoring 15 runs against a Brewers team that was 10 games under .500 on the season. The Twins have moved Plouffe from shortstop since this day but he debuted by playing the position he was drafted at by the Twins. There have been some struggles for Plouffe since his debut but he put together a good first impression.
     
    Danny Valencia - Debut: June 3, 2010
    Stat Summary: 1-for-3
    When Felix Hernandez is the starting pitcher in your MLB debut, it is not going to be an easy start to your playing career. The only hit Valencia got in the contest came in his first at-bat off of Hernandez. Offense was hard to come by for the Twins as they failed to get more than one run across the plate. On this day, the Twins would lose 4-1 and all of the runs for the Mariners came in one inning.
     
    Chris Parmelee - Debut: September 6, 2011
    Stat Summary: 2-for-4, 2 singles
    On this day last season, there were plenty of debuts for the Twins with Joe Benson and Liam Hendriks joining Parmelee in the line-up. Parmelee was on base multiple times but the Twins would fail to do anything once he was on base. At the end of the day, the Twins out hit the White Sox but were shut-out at home.
     
    Erik Komatsu - Debut: April 6, 2012
    Stat Summary: 1-for-1
    It was Opening Day at Miller Park when Komatsu was asked to pinch hit for Carlos Beltran. He slapped an infield hit and advanced the runner from second to third. This would be his only at-bat in the game and in the coming weeks, he would find himself in the jersey of the Minnesota Twins.
     
    Brian Dozier - Debut: May 7, 2012
    Stat Summary: 1-for-4, R
    Dozier made some outstanding fielding plays and he was able to get his first hit during his last at-bat of the game. In his first couple of plate appearances, he hit the ball hard but those attempts didn't end up as hits. The Twins would be defeated in his debut with Jered Weaver on the mound but he showed some good things to the crowd at Target Field.
     
    So after all of that, here are my rankings for the top debuts for current position players on the Minnesota Twins.
     

    Top 3 Debuts for Current Twins
     
    1. Trevor Plouffe
     
    2. Joe Mauer
     
    3. Jamey Carroll
     
     
    Worst Debut for Current Twins: Drew Butera


  14. Cody Christie
    Scott Diamond and Liam Hendriks switched teams for their starts on Tuesday night and both players found success at their different levels. Liam Hendriks had struggled in his outings with the Twins so he was sent back down to Rochester. He didn't make it out of the sixth inning but he only gave up one earned run with eight strikeouts.
     
    Diamond found himself on the mound at Target Field with a team struggling to score runs. He put together an outstanding start as he lasted seven innings and didn't allow a run. There were some excellent defensive plays made behind him especially by newly called-up Brian Dozier. The Twins would go on to win the game by a score of 5-0 and they will look for the series win tomorrow against the Angels.
     
    ROCHESTER 3, PAWTUCKET 1
     
    As mentioned above, Hendriks was inserted back into the rotation for the Red Wings and he had very little problems with this transition. The only real issue for Hendriks came in the bottom of the sixth when the lead off man got a hit, was bunted to second, and eventually scored on another single. Otherwise, Hendriks faced the minimum in every inning that he pitched to earn his first win of the season.
     
    Deolis Guerra continued his impressive season in the minor leagues by pitching 2.1 innings of relief and allowing one hit. In his 9 innings with the Red Wings, he has only allowed six hits and no runs. This comes on the heels of pitching 12.2 innings with New Britain and only allowing 1 earned run. If he keeps this up, he should be in Minnesota sooner rather than later.
     
    Ben Revere was the only member of the Red Wings to have more than one hit as he went 2-for-4 with two singles. Pedro Florimon hit his first home run in Rochester in his second game since being called-up. A strong performance from the pitching staff meant the offense didn't need to score a whole lot of runs to get the Red Wings a win.
     
    NEW BRITAIN 4, BINGHAMTON 3
     
    The Rock Cats found themselves in an early hole against the Mets but a strong top of the ninth inning turned a 1-3 loss into a 4-3 win for New Britain. Joe Benson was in familiar territory but it was the opposite direction he was hoping to go this year. He struggled to an 0-for-4 day at the plate in his first start since being demoted over the weekend. On the defensive side of the ball, he did have an outfield assist and it is nice to think of Aaron Hicks and Benson covering a lot of ground in the outfield.
     
    A walk and an error in the top of the ninth inning helped to spur the comeback for the Rock Cats. Chris Colabello reached on a walk to start the inning but the big hit would come off of the bat of Nate Hanson. His fourth double of the year would score two runs and give New Britain their first and only lead of the day. Evan Bigley and Colabello had the only other extra base hits in the contest with each of them cracking a double.
     
    The bullpen was outstanding for New Britain in relief of Andrew Albers. After Albers pitched five innings and gave up three runs, the relief arms would not surrender a run in the last four innings. Blake Martin and Lester Oliveros would combine for two perfect innings in their time on the mound. Daniel Turpen was able to pitch the last two innings and pick up his third win of the year by giving up one hit and no runs.
     
    FORT MYERS 4, DUNEDIN 16
     
    There was plenty of offense in this contest but unfortunately for the Miracle, it came at the expense of their pitching staff. Last year's second round draft pick Madison Boer has struggled in his two starts since being promoted from Beloit. On Tuesday night, he only pitched two innings and surrendered nine earned runs with most of the damage coming off of three home runs. His ERA with the Miracle now stands at 14.09 so hopefully all it can do is get lower from this point going forward.
     
    The Miracle were able to accumulate 11 hits in the contest but there were no extra-base hits for the team. This made it tough to keep up with the Blue Jays. Daniel Santana raised his batting average to .313 with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Last year's first round pick Levi Michael had two hits but also had his six error of the year on the defensive side of the ball.
     
    Almost all of the runs for the Miracle came in the last inning when the game was already out of hand. Hopefully this late inning offensive surge will carry into their next game so the team can get back to their winning ways.
     
    BELOIT 3, KANE COUNTY 4
     
    The Snappers might have lost but Miguel Sano hit a home run for the second night in a row and the fourth time in his last six games. If you hadn't heard, this guy is going to be good. Wang-Wei Lin and Adam Pettersen both had two hits to set the table in front of Sano. Eddie Rosario is in a little bit of a slump as he was held hitless for the third time in the last four games.
     
    Matthew Tomshaw took the loss for the Snappers but his outing was not all that bad. He gave up six hits and three earned runs in five innings pitched. David Hurlbut did a fine job of relieving Tomshaw as he threw three shutout innings with the Cougars managing two hits off of him.
     
    Fans will continue to keep an eye on Beloit to see what Sano is able to do. It could be more important to see if his home run buddy from last year, Rosario, can get back on track and start hitting the ball over the fence.
     
    ---
     
    Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 8, 2012
     
    Hitter of the Day- Nate Hanson

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HDNNX29Kq6w/T6nmMG5kB_I/AAAAAAAABQQ/eLpKXS22yVs/s320/nate20hanson.jpg

     
    Pitcher of the Day- Liam Hendriks
     

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EUmzht_IxWI/T6nnKz-vTgI/AAAAAAAABQY/2Y989e-4E0I/s1600/Hendriks+Rochester.jpg

    ---
     
    A Look Ahead- Wednesday, May 9th Schedule
     
    Rochester @ Pawtucket- RHP Cole DeVries
    New Britain @ Binghamton- RHP Steve Hirschfeld
    Fort Myers @ Dunedin- RHP Jhon Garcia
    Beloit @ Peoria- LHP Steven Gruver
     
    ---
     
    If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, leave them in the comments section and Seth or I will try to answer them.
  15. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFgRnR1HgUo/T6bT_Z9h9VI/AAAAAAAABP8/F-u9e8GnaoA/s320/DozierTwins.jpg

    The offense for the Minnesota Twins has been horrendous in recent games with Jered Weaver throwing a no-hitter and Felix Hernandez tossing a one-hit shutout. Granted these are two of the best pitchers in the American League but the stagnant offense was too much for the front office to ignore as the Twins end their West Coast road trip. The Twins will turn to Brian Dozier, the 2012 Twins Minor League Player of the Year, to try and spark an offense that ranks near the bottom in baseball.
     
    Dozier performed well for the Twins in spring training and he could have easily made the club's Opening Day roster. He had yet to play a game at Triple-A so it did make sense for him to at least get a taste of Rochester before he got his call-up. Unlike players like Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee who each spent all of last year at Double-A before their call-up, Dozier spent part of the 2011 season playing in Fort Myers before he got called up to New Britain. He still had a great season and Ron Gardenhire has been keeping a close eye on the young infielder since last year.
     
    When the Twins sent Dozier down to Rochester at the end of spring training, it seemed like he would have a chip on his shoulder and this can lead to go performances on the field. He would start the season trying to prove to the front office that they made a mistake by leaving him in the minor leagues. As I wrote about at the beginning of April, Dozier got off to a hot start and he had a batting average of over .400 with decent power numbers as well. His performance was hard to ignore for fans and for the front office with the middle infield not exactly hitting the cover off of the ball.
     
    Dozier's numbers have cooled down significantly as the season has progressed but this still didn't deter the Twins from calling him up to get his first taste of the big leagues. He leaves Rochester hitting .276/.339/.371 with eight extra-base hits. During his last eight games, he has been on base in every contest and he raised his batting numbers during this time. Since the beginning of May, he is hitting .286/.385/.333 with a double and four walks. With the way the Twins offense has been struggling, any boost of energy seems like it could help improve their offensive firepower.
     
    The Twins were terrible on their West coast road trip and there were some historically bad numbers to back up just how bad they were in their six games on the road. Dozier is being brought in to help the team try and turn things around but he shouldn't be looked at as the savior of the Twins offensive woes. Some players struggle as they try to adjust to their first taste of the big leagues. During last September, Joe Benson found his first handful of games with the Twins to have its fair share of challenges. There are going to be lessons to learn for him as a major league player and the Twins are going to give him every opportunity to succeed as the starting shortstop for the club.
     
    There is a lot wrong with the Twins offense at this point in the year and inserting Dozier into the line-up is not going to fix how bad the rest of the team has been in recent games. According to Elias, the Twins have tied the record for fewest hits for a major-league team over a five-game span during baseball's modern era. The 14 hits for the Twins in the last five games have been tough to watch but Ryan Doumit looked good with a couple of home runs on Sunday afternoon. If the team is going to be competitive again this year, the rest of the club is going to have to fix their swings.
     
    With a team struggling as much as the Twins, it is great to give Dozier a chance to prove he belongs in the major leagues but the debut of Dozier should be taken in stride. He could get off to a great start and the rest of the Twins could still be struggling at the plate. On the other hand, he could struggle and the team could find a way to fix their offensive funk. It is always fun to see what young players can do and all of Twins Territory hopes that Dozier can take the opportunity and run with it.
  16. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Boy did it feel good to have a day to recover on Thursday after watching the Twins get no-hit by Jared Weaver on Wednesday night. This performance came on the heels of the Twins putting together a lack luster performance against Jerome Williams on Tuesday night. All together the Twins have been held hitless in 15 straight innings and now their focus will turn to the Seattle Mariners.
     
    The Twins record sits at 6-18, the worst in Major League Baseball, and they have lost nine of their last ten games. Compiled with the terrible season last year, this bad start has some of the fan base up in arms. There are plenty of challenges facing the Twins but there are still lots of games left on the schedule for the team to try and figure out how to turn this mess around.
     
    There are still some positives to find in the baseball world. The Twins have the number two pick in the MLB Draft that is a little over a month away. There are surprise division leaders in Washington, Cleveland, and Los Angeles and Matt Kemps looks like he could be on pace for one of the most historic seasons in history. Just last weekend, teenage phenom Bryce Harper made his debut for the Nationals and he has lived up to the hype in his first week in the big leagues.
     
    Take some time to enjoy some of the great baseball related stories linked below and make sure to have a great weekend across Twins Territory.
     

    Since the first month of the season is over, Seth Stohs picked out the minor league players of the month for the Twins system. In a series of posts, he selected the best hitter, the top starting pitcher, and the number one relief arm.
    Speaking of Stohs, I was one of many guests on the Seth Speaks Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast. We discussed a variety of Twins topics in the last 15 minutes of the show.
    Francisco Liriano might have taken some positives steps forward this week, but Parker Hageman wonders if it will continue.
    Twins Fan From Afar looks into Joe Mauer and his frequency (or none frequency) of hitting into 4-3 putouts.
    In a popular post from Twins Daily, John Bonnes breaks down the anatomy of a Mauer boo.
    Forbes magazine did a story on the top mascots in all of sports but TC was no where to be found in the top 10.
    Sean Burroughs seemed like he could be a feel good story for the Twins but his time with the club was short lived and Nick Nelson looks into why he was dropped.
    Seedlings to Stars put together their second version of the 2012 Mock Draft. Who will the Twins take at number two?
    Puckett's Pond asks the question, "Why do the Twins keep snubbing Anthony Slama?"
    One of the worst calls in baseball history was made this week when Jerry Hairston was called out on a play at first base. Here is the photo evidence:


    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kADK2j_dGEM/T6NDix8slwI/AAAAAAAABPw/s-iLtkJDQIY/s320/WelkeBadCall.jpg

     

    It turns out Mark Prior is still finding work in professional baseball. Just think the Twins could have picked him instead of Mauer.
    I don't know what would possess someone to wear a horse head to a baseball game and it turns out drinking beverages isn't easy when you do.
    When the Phillies signed Jim Thome and said he would play first base, it didn't sound like a good idea. He ended up on the DL this week with back problems.
    There was a David vs. Goliath battle when 6-foot-11 Jon Rauch pitched to 5-foot-5 Jose Altuve.
    The Cardinals saw the Twins were going to retire the number 10 for one of their best managers and they had to beat them to the punch.
    Identity fraud in Latin America has been a problem in the past and it continues to evolve to this day.
    The Twins might not play two series with the Brewers anymore as baseball shifts the Astros to the AL next year.
    MLB attendance is up so far this year but the Twins are going in the wrong direction.

     
    My Weekly Rundown:
     

    Monday: What will the hype be like for Sano's debut?
    Tuesday: AL Central looking weak after first month
    Wednesday: VOTE: Best Twins offensive performance ever
    Thursday: Carroll, Span among best on defense

    Video of the Week: A soccer club from England is mad at a group of Minnesota Twins fans for stealing their anthem. Fans of Leeds United are upset over the new renidition of the song that was put together by the Minnesota Culture Club. It is a collection of Skype videos hashed together with fans singing the lyrics to the Minnesota version of the song.
  17. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qecb9tw5Br4/T6ILyONnDZI/AAAAAAAABPk/ywTt8GeLscc/s320/SpanCarroll.jpg


    There have been plenty of low-lights so far for the Twins with last night's no-hitter by the Angels Jared Weaver being at the top of the list but there have been some positives for fans to see in the first month of the year. Denard Span and Jamey Carroll have provided some strong defense up the middle for the Twins. There were question marks with both of these players when the season started down in Fort Myers. Would Span be able to overcome his concussions and handle the rigors of being in the line-up on an everyday basis? At 38-years old, could Carroll be productive when given a full-time job?
     
    Span has been on a hot streak in the batter's box in the last couple weeks and he saw his 12-game hit streak come to an end last night. After some scary concussion related issues for a chunk of last year, it is good to see Span off to a quick start as he is leading the Twins in batting average through this early part of the season. The question marks surrounding Span at the beginning of the season are becoming long forgotten and he has shown he can handle being the table setter for the Twins offense.
     
    The offensive side of things has been a little rough for Carroll and Ron Gardenhire dropped him from the number two spot in the line-up earlier this week. In the last ten games, Carroll only has five hits and he is hitting under .135 in those contests. For the season, Carroll has seen his batting average drop to near Drew Butera territory and that is never a good thing. His ability to draw walks is still a positive but teams are going to make him prove that he can hit the ball if he continues to struggle at the plate.
     
    Span and Carroll might be on opposite ends of the offensive spectrum at this point in the season but they have both been near the top of their game on the defensive side of the ball. After the atrocious play in the middle infield last year, the Twins brought Carroll in to be a calming influence to the rest of the defense. The corner outfielders have changed around Span since last year but his solid defense remains constant in center field for the Twins.
     
    Out of all of the outfielders in baseball, Denard Span and Alex Gordon each saved their team seven runs during the first month of the season. The closest center fielder on the list to Span was Colby Rasmus with six defensive runs saved and then it was Austin Jackson with four. The large outfield at Target Field can provide some challenges for chasing down fly balls but Span can clearly provide some run saving ability with his defense. [Click here to see some video evidence of Span saving some runs with his defense and ending the threat from the Royals.]
     
    Luckily for the Twins, the offensive woes for Carroll have not translated to his defense on the field. Carroll doesn't have as many defensive runs saved as Span but he has still saved the Twins two runs on the year. He has only committed one error in 106 chances at shortstop and some of his plays have been very impressive. According to ESPN and Baseball Info Solutions, Carroll made 16 good fielding plays in the first month of the season and this ranked first among shortstops. [Click here to see some video evidence of Carroll saving some runs with his defense and doubling up David Ortiz.]
     
    The defensive play of Span and Carroll has helped the Twins to rank in the top five in all of baseball in defensive runs saved so far this year. With the Twins starting pitchers continuing to give up a lot of hits, the defense behind the pitchers is going to need to stay consistent. There are plenty of problems with the Twins at this early junction of the season but the defensive play of these two players is not one of those issues.
  18. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9DMuI0-XtTs/T6CxgJ6MPhI/AAAAAAAABPY/--E7C0uJ1Bk/s320/Slide1.jpg

    On Monday night, Ryan Braun put together an amazing offensive performance by hitting three home runs and adding a triple in another one of his at-bats. It was a historical night at the plate but there have been some even more historical nights in the long history of baseball. ESPN's SweetSpot Blog put up a vote of some of the greatest offensive nights in history. The leader in the clubhouse as of last night was Shawn Green and his 6-for-6 night with four home runs, a double, six runs, and seven RBI. It still stands as the MLB record for most total bases in one contest.
     
    This got me thinking about some of the best offensive performances in the history of the Minnesota Twins. Much like the SweetSpot post, these will only be regular season performances because the postseason is an entirely different story.
     
    Here are some of the top performances from regular season history for the Twins in order of when they occurred for the team. There are a ton of great games in franchise history so narrowing down the list is a tough challenge. At the end of the post, you will have the opportunity to pick what you think is the best performance in franchise history. It should be a fun exercise so I hope you enjoy it!
     
    1. Bob Allison, 1963 Twins: 3-for-5, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI (box score)
     
    The first three home run game in franchise history with one of the highest RBI totals for a single game for the Twins. Players like Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Justin Morneau would hit three home runs in one contest but he will always be the first. In the early seasons of the Twins, it was a record setting game for a team trying to make their mark in Minnesota.
     
    2. Glen Adams, 1977 Twins: 4-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 8 RBI (box score)
     
    Only two Twins have tallied eight RBI in a game and Glen Adams was the first member of the Twins to accomplish this feat. There was a lot of offense in this game as the Twins and White Sox combined for 31 runs. It could be argued that Rod Carew had a better game on this day with a 4-for-5 night with a home run, a double, five runs, and six RBI. The eight RBI are still hard to ignore and Adams game ranks as one of the best in team history.
     
    3. Kirby Puckett, 1987 Twins: 6-for-6, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI (box score)
     
    The greatest Twins player in history is the only player in the history of the franchise to compile six hits in a game. He has done it twice but one time it occurred in an extra-inning contest so we will pick the game that was decided in regulation play. There were multiple records set by Puckett in this game against the Brewers. Besides the team record for hits, he also managed the most total bases in franchise history with 14. His four RBI were also the difference in the score as the Twins won by a score of 10 to 4. It will be tough for another performance to top one of Puckett's best offensive performances.
     
    4. Randy Bush, 1989 Twins: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 8 RBI (box score)
     
    As mentioned earlier, Glen Adams was one of two players to have eight RBI in a game and the player to tie his team record for RBI was Randy Bush. Just like in the game from Adams, the Twins scored 19 runs as part of this eight RBI performance. He would only get 54 RBI for the year so having eight in one game is quite the accomplishment. For a light hitting outfielder with not a lot of power, this was quite the game.
     
    5. Michael Cuddyer, 2005 Twins: 4-for-4, HR, 3 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI (box score)
     
    The team record for extra-base hits in a game is four and there have been multiple players to do this in a game and this includes multiple players on this list. Cuddyer was the last member of the Twins to be able get four extra-base hits and he did it in a 4-for-4 game in which he was intentional walked during the game. Mr. Cuddyer has also hit for the cycle in a contest for the Twins but this was also one of his best games during his time with the Twins.
     
    6. Justin Morneau, 2007 Twins: 3-for-5, 3 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI (box score)
     
    Justin Morneau has run into some tough luck in the injury department in recent years but he is still one of the best power hitters in the history of the Twins. He is most current Twins player to hit three home runs in a contest and he did it in a blow out win against the White Sox. Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, and Bob Allison are the only player to have more 2-homer games than Morneau. His 12 total bases in the game are also close to the most ever in franchise history.
     
    7. Jason Kubel, 2009 Twins: 4-for-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI (box score)
     
    This might have been one of the most exciting offensive performance in recent memory for the Twins. The team found themselves in a hole in the late innings of the game but one player was in the middle of a special performance. With the Twins down nine to four in the bottom of the eighth, the team started to mount their come-back. The exclamation point on the comeback would be off of the bat Jason Kubel. He already had a triple, double, and a single to his name and this meant that he just needed the home run to complete the cyle. A grand slam to give his team the lead in the late innings was a special moment in the final year of the Metrodome.
     
    Now is your chance to vote on the games listed above but it doesn't stop there because there have been other great games in Twins history as well. If you think there is a better performance, leave a comment below and start the conversation.
     
    CLICK HERE TO SEE POLL
  19. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joxCXH56GqU/T59svuioAYI/AAAAAAAABOw/aqD2LlJTQdI/s400/Slide3.jpg

    The first month of the baseball season is in the books and there have been surprises across the baseball world. The Angels and Albert Pujols had a rough first month after experts picked them to be fighting for a division title. The Rangers have being playing on another level from most teams in baseball. Matt Kemp is on pace for a record breaking year and the Dodgers are the top team in the National League.
     
    On paper at the start of the season, the American League Central seemed to be a one team race. The Detroit Tigers were the hands down favorite to represent the AL Central in the playoffs. But baseball is a funny game and the Tigers have stumbled a little getting out of the gate. This could open up the division to any of the other teams to find a way to dethrone the Tigers from their perch on top of AL Central.
     
    All of the teams in the AL Central are within six games of first place in the division at the end of April. Even with the tight race in the division, the Cleveland Indians are the only team to sit above .500 at the end of the first month. The Tigers and White Sox are both one game out of first with the Royals and Twins filling up the basement. So who is going to be able to separate themselves from the pack in the coming months?
     
    Only one team has a positive run differential as the teams start play at the beginning of May. The Indians have outscored their opponents by three runs since the season began and they have allowed the least amount of runs out of teams in the division. Every other division in baseball has a team that has scored at least 100 runs but the Central is lacking a team that has reached this feat. The Tigers have scored the most runs with 94 runs scored but they have also allowed the second most runs in the division.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw5v2v_dTlc/T59s3FF6kgI/AAAAAAAABO4/7Fxv7Lmr4DA/s320/Slide1.jpg

    Some of the biggest struggles for teams in the Central have come in their own home games. None of the teams in the Central have a winning record at home and the Royals have the dubious distinction of being the only team in baseball that has not won a contest on their home field. The Tigers sit one game below .500 at home but the Indians, White Sox, Twins, and Royals sit three games or more below the .500 mark.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3271GcHZouE/T59tAdydX7I/AAAAAAAABPA/4BG3yXR9iUE/s320/Slide2.jpg

    Here's a quick look at the other teams in the Central with a couple of notes about their start to the 2012 season:
     
    1. Cleveland Indians (Record 11-9): In the last ten games, the Indians have gone 6-4 to push themselves to the top of the Central. They just completed a 3-3 home stand and now the are off to Chicago for an important series in the standings. Being on top of the division at the end of the first month is familiar territory to the Indians as they finished last April with an 18-8 record. Derek Lowe seems to be comfortable at the front of the Indians rotation. He finds himself tied for the league lead with four wins and he has a very good 2.27 ERA.
     
    2. Detroit Tigers (Record 11-11): For the second year in a row, the Tigers are struggling to start the season. A slow start didn't impact the Tigers too much last season as they finished with 95 wins over the course of the season. Delmon Young's recent incident has been a little bit of a distraction and it will be interesting to see how the team deals with the fallout. Detroit needs to get some of their pitching in order for them to find success again but the division is still theirs to lose in 2012.
     
    3. Chicago White Sox (Record 11-11): When the White Sox sold off some of their parts in the offseason, it seemed like they might be in the middle of a rebuilding project. They kept some of their parts and they have seen a resurgence among some familiar names. Adam Dunn was one of the worst hitters in baseball last year and he has five home runs to his name in 2012. Jake Peavy might have been the best pitcher in the American League for the first month of the year.
     
    4. Kansas City Royals (Record 6-15): The Royals seemed to be the darlings of the baseball world before the season began. Their combination of young players and a strong bullpen looked to push them up near the top of the division. Some struggles at the plate from players like Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon have made scoring runs a challenge. There have also been some speed bumps with the pitching staff that will need to be ironed out for the team to find success in the coming months.
  20. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwdGU6KVbEY/T554GUTlVrI/AAAAAAAABOk/s4sU_QlBSt8/s320/SanoHaperSwing.jpg

    One of the most hyped debuts in MLB history took place over the weekend with Bryce Harper being penciled in to the Washington Nationals line-up for the first time as a 19-year old phenom. His first game looked like it was going to play out perfectly but Matt Kemp's walk-off home run in extra innings spoiled the coming out party for Harper.
     
    In the game, Harper got his first hit by smacking a solid double off the wall in deep center field. His most impressive play might have been his tremendous throw from left field to the plate that should have gotten the runner if Wilson Ramos would have held on to the ball. The top of the ninth inning saw Harper come up with the chance to be the hero and he was able to get a sacrifice fly to give his team the lead but the bullpen would eventually surrender the victory to the Dodgers.
     
    In the middle of next month the Twins will have their own 19-year old top prospect when Miguel Sano celebrates his birthday on May 11. Unlike Harper who was getting experience at Triple-A for the Nationals, Sano is at Low-A trying to put together all of his potential. For the Twins and Sano, this will mean multiple seasons before he can be stepping on the grass at Target Field.
     
    Sano has shot up the top prospect charts since he signed with the Twins as a 16-year old. Baseball America had him ranked as the 94th best prospect shortly after the Twins signed him and before he had come to play in the United States. After a tremendous 2011 season, he shot all the way up to the 18th best prospect in baseball and another strong season, combined with some players graduating to the big leagues, could see him closing in on the top of the list.
     
    Watching a top prospect develop is great because it gives hope for the future of a franchise. The Twins and their fans have been struggling through the last two seasons and if these problems continue, fans of the Twins will start looking to the future. Sano is a big part of these plans and his development is something to watch for all of Twins Territory.
     
    So far this year, Sano has hit .262 with six home runs, two triples, and five doubles. He has shown the ability to get more walks this season with 17 free passes so far in 2012. Even with the higher walk rate, his strikeout rate continues to be high with 31 strikeouts in 84 at-bats this year. Besides cutting down on the strikeouts, his defense at third base needs to continue to improve. He has five errors in his first 82 chances for the Snappers.
     
    Harper was not only watched closely by fans of the Nationals but he was also on the radar of many baseball fans across the baseball world. Much like Harper, Sano could be on his way to being a top prospect in all of baseball. So what could the hype be like for Sano when he makes his debut in a couple of seasons?
     
    If Sano continues to improve in some of the weaker areas mentioned above, there is nothing stopping him from developing into a force that will make the entire baseball world take notice in the coming years. His raw power ability could be something that makes him standout among his peers and this separation could make the hype around him even stronger. But the dreams of seeing Sano at Target Field are still multiple years away at this point with plenty of development needed from young Mr. Sano.
     
    The last time the Twins had the top prospect in all of baseball was back before the 2004 and 2005 seasons when Joe Mauer topped the prospect charts for Baseball America in back-to-back seasons. His debut with the Twins was cut short when he was injured in the second game of the season. Surgery on the knee of Mauer would cause him to miss over a month but following his return, swelling in his knee would force an early end to the season for Mauer.
     
    Mauer's unhealthy rookie season took away from some of the hype he had built-up in the minor leagues. Fans of the Twins can only hope that Sano is following the same track as Mauer. The hype doesn't need to follow him to the big leagues but fans of the Twins will be happy to get a top tier player for many years to come out of Sano. The hype is building but there is still plenty of work to be done.
  21. Cody Christie
    "You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains."- Ebby Calvin LaLoosh, Bull Durham


     
    The rain came a tumbling down at Target Field on Saturday afternoon and the contest between the Twins and Royals was postponed because of the weather. By mid-afternoon, the skies had cleared up but the game had already been rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on June 30.
     
    Even with the rainout at Target Field, there was still plenty of minor league action across the Twins system on Saturday. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Saturday:
     
    ROCHESTER 3, BUFFALO 4
     
    By the bottom of the third inning, the Red Wings found themselves in a 3-0 hole to the Bisons. PJ Walters started the game for Rochester and last five innings while surrendering the first three runs to Buffalo. In the sixth inning, Deolis Guerra made his first appearance at the Triple-A level since 2010 and he was solid. Guerra pitched three innings, allowing two hits, and striking out two.
     
    Esmerling Vasquez took the loss for Rochester in an interesting bottom of the ninth. He hit the lead off batter to start the frame and this was followed by a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning. The next batter was intentionally walked to set-up the double play but the problem was Vasquez walked the following batter to fill the bases. The fifth batter of the inning was struck out so the bases were loaded with two down before Vinny Rottino got a single to center field.
     
    Joe Benson was a big part of the comeback effort for Rochester with a 2-run home run in the fifth inning to cut the lead to one run. For the day, Benson went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double to raise his batting average to .187. Brian Dozier went 2-for-4 on the day with his ninth RBI of the year but he also had a throwing error in the fourth inning. Darin Mastroianni continued his hot streak with a triple in the contest as he is hitting .395 in his last ten contests.
     
    NEW BRITAIN 3, RICHMOND 5
     
    No one in the Rock Cats batting order had more than one hit as the team lost for the third game in a row. Aaron Hicks followed up his big game at the plate on Friday night with a 1-for3 outing on Saturday.
     
    The only extra-base hit for New Britain came from Evan Bigley as he slapped a double in the sixth inning to bring the Rock Cats within a run. But this late inning rally would prove to be ill fated when Richmond scored an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth.
     
    Steve Hirschfeld tossed six innings and gave up ten hits and five runs to the Flying Squirrels. It was Hirschfeld's second loss in his last two outings after winning his first two decisions of the year. Brett Jacobson looked good in relief by throwing the last two innings for the Rock Cats and not allowing a single hit.
     
    FORT MYERS 0, ST. LUCIE 4
     
    There were a lot of hits in this game for both teams but the Miracle and the Mets both struggled to push them across the plate. In the game, the Miracle put together seven hits but failed to score a run and got shutout for the second time this year.
     
    The big boppers in for the Miracle were both able to put together a couple of hits. Angel Morales and Oswaldo Arcia each went 2-for-4 with a double. Both doubles went wasted as they were left stranded in scoring position.
     
    Jhon Garcia started the year as a relief pitcher but he was shifted to the starting rotation at the beginning of the week. In both starts he has gone five innings and allowed only one earned run. The Miracle have been unable to pull out the win for him in either of these trips to the mound.
     
    Matthew Hauser looked good in a little over two innings out of the bullpen. He only gave up one hit with one unearned run and three strikeouts. It was his third consecutive outing without giving up a run.
     
    BELOIT 3, DAYTON 7
     
    All of the runs in this game were scored in the second inning and unfortunately for the Snappers, they came up on the short of the scoring spree. Steven Gruver started for Beloit and he never made it out of the second inning. Only three of the seven runs scored off of Gruver were earned but he allowed six hits and two walks. A.J. Achter did a good job of cleaning up the mess and he posted 4.1 innings pitched with no runs allowed and only three hits.
     
    Most of the offense came from the bottom portion of the line-up as the seven, eight, and nine batters each had an RBI. Matthew Koch was included in this group and he was the only Snappers batter to have more than one hit in the contest. Koch finished the day at 2-for-4 with a double. The other extra base hit for the Snappers came off of the bat of Eddie Rosario. It was Rosario's eighth double of the year and he leads the team in this category.
     
    Miguel Sano had a rough day by going 0-for-3 at the plate with two strikeouts. He also had his fifth error of the season at third base. As a team, the Snappers were 1-13 with runners in scoring position so the opportunities were there but a comeback wasn't in the cards on this day.
    ---
     
    Players of the Day for Saturday
     
    Hitter of the Day- Joe Benson

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-65oIeqGONR4/T5ysWLi5sZI/AAAAAAAABOI/QwGPQTR8wZQ/s1600/JoeBenson.jpg

     
    Pitcher of the Day- A.J. Achter

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MyLdV8HSrLA/T5ysbLky_0I/AAAAAAAABOQ/_K1T9lbKH10/s200/ph_592091.jpg

    ---
     
    A Look Ahead - Sunday, April 29, 2012 Schedule
     
    Rochester @ Buffalo - RHP Daryl Thompson
    New Britain @ Richmond - TBA
    Ft. Myers vs St. Lucie - RHP BJ Hermsen
    Beloit vs. Dayton - RHP Tim Shibuya
     
    ---
    If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and Seth or I will try and answer them!
  22. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Since the last time you joined me for an edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks," the Twins have only one one game and that was on last Friday. It has been a rough week for Twins fans as the team looked to get back on track against the struggling Red Sox. This didn't happen but the one consolation prize is the fact that the Royals come to town this weekend and they have their own share of problems to deal with this season. Hopefully this means the Twins can come out of the weekend with a series win before they head on the road again for a West Coast swing through Los Angeles and Seattle.
     
    Last weekend a former Twins player, Phil Humber, threw the 21st perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. Humber was part of the Johan Santana trade but struggled at the Triple-A level and never made it past Rochester with the Twins. Overall, he spent six seasons in the minor leagues before the White Sox gave him a chance to be a starter. In only his 30 career starts, he was perfect with 27 batters faced and 27 outs recorded on the mound. As much as I don't like the White Sox, the transformation that this top draft pick has made is great to see from any player.
     
    Josh Willingham's wife having a baby, I "adopted" a prospect from the Twins farm system, and plenty more stories are all included in this weeks edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Have a great weekend and enjoy!
     

    One of the highlights of the week over at TwinsDaily was the introduction of the "Adopt-A-Prospect" series for the site. I was lucky enough to get top pitching prospect Adrian Salcedo but there are plenty of other players to check out.
    The MLB Draft is fast approaching in June and Seth Stohs wants to know if taking a college pitcher is the right approach for the Twins.
    It's only the end of the first month of the season and the writers at Puckett's Pond want to know if it is too early to bump Miguel Sano up to Ft. Myers.
    Twins fans seem to have a lot to complain about but Twins Fan From Afar is sick of hearing three complaints from the fan base.
    Lindsay Guentzel is trying to survive the first MLB Fan Cave elimination and she needs your help to stay in NYC.
    Joe Mauer has appeared in every game for the Twins this year and Nick Nelson thinks Mr. Mauer is might be making a statement.
    Bobby Valentine needs to find a different way research his opponents because he apparently doesn't know how to use his phone.
    There have been some great nicknames in the history of baseball.
    Danny Valencia is off to a slow start at the plate and Parker Hageman thinks Valencia might have lost some of his swagger.
    Here's a contract strategy the Twins could use. Sign them young.
    Josh Willingham's family welcomed a new edition this week and this great photo started to speed around the internet.


    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_JZ7BG_ePE/T5oKeUg08TI/AAAAAAAABN8/i5ymdnQKm6c/s320/WillinghamBaby.jpg

     

    John Sickels from Minor League Ball put together his April Edition of the 2012 MLB Mock Draft. Who will the Twins take at number 2?
    Jim Thome has survived so far with having to play first base since he is back in the National League.
    Luke Hughes found a new team this week but he has run into a few snags in the fielding department.
    The off-day for the Twins on Thursday felt good and Brandon Warne offered up some ways to fix the Twins.
    Twins pitchers and catchers held a 20-minute closed door meeting after being swept by the Red Sox. Hopefully this can improve some of the results on the field.
    Former Twins player Shane Mack is auctioning off some unique items from his baseball career.
    Finally, a great read about New Britain's Chris Colabello and his amazing path to the Rock Cats.

     
    My Weekly Rundown:
     

    Monday: Where will Liriano fit into the bullpen?
    Tuesday: Adopt-A-Prospect Introduction: Adrian Salcedo
    Wednesday: Duensing ramping up his velocity in the 'pen
    Thursday: Attendance starting to dwindle at Target Field

    Video of the Week: There have been some crazy batting stances in the history of baseball but this college player might have found one of the most unique positions in the box. His name is Alex Buccilli and he is the DH for Coastal Carolina. Even the Batting Stance Guy has gotten in on the action.
  23. Cody Christie
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HLsZhcPiKOU/T5jI5YubJyI/AAAAAAAABNk/t1Whequk2Mc/s320/target_field_46.jpg

    The first two seasons at Target Field have been very fruitful from the Twins perspective when it comes to selling tickets in their beautiful new ballpark. In 2010 and 2011, the Twins capped their season ticket sales and it was tough to find an open seat in any section with your naked eye for most of the season. Before a new stadium was built, the organization said they needed the cash flow involved with a new venue in order to stay competitive and the team raised their payroll significantly in the first couple years at Target Field.
     
    Target Field was built and the fans across Twins Territory responded by coming out in droves to see their new gem nestled into downtown Minneapolis. The 2010 season saw the Twins fighting for a division title and they finished the year with one of the best records in the American League. Nothing sells tickets like having a winner on the field so the first year at Target Field was very successful. Over 3 million fans attended games at Target Field in 2010 and this was only the second time the franchise had been able to reach this plateau.
     
    With the Twins coming off a successful 2010 and most of their core players still intact, there was still a high demand for Twins tickets in 2011. Season ticket sales were renewed at a high level and for the second year in a row, the team had to cap their sales on season tickets. Unfortunately the performance on the field was far less than in 2010. So as the season went on, there were far less people occupying the seats at Target Field (even if the seats were technically sold). For the second year in a row, the Twins crossed threshold of 3 million fans. By the end of the year, there were plenty of open seats to be found across the ballpark.
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYdTC5egAhw/T5jL1QGzXgI/AAAAAAAABNw/-2mahCCdrIE/s400/TargetFieldAttendance.jpg

    During the offseason, the Twins made a variety of changes after Terry Ryan was reinstated as the general manager. One of the biggest changes was scaling back the payroll to get it closer to the $100 million mark. By the end of the 2011 season, the overall value of the team's payroll was around the $115 million mark. The front office knew that honeymoon period of fans coming out to Target Field to see the stadium was over. After a rough season, it was going to take a little bit of time to win the fans back over and bring them back to Target Field. The team planned accordingly and so far this season, their estimates seemed to be correct.
     
    The Twins first three home series of the year should be games that are big draws for fans. The Angels, Rangers, and Red Sox are all top notch teams in the American League with star players at multiple positions. Games like this usually makes it easy to fill the seats but a person can clearly find large sections of tickets that remain unsold. Early season weather can always be sketchy so this might keep some fans away. But on a beautiful night like last night with a top opponent in town, the crowd should have been higher than it was by the time everyone filtered into the ballpark.
     
    After nine games at home, the Twins have just crossed the 300,000 mark for attendance this season. The team has averaged 33,357 fans in their home contests but that mark is helped by the over 39,000 fans from the home opener. Besides the first home game of the year, the Twins highest attendance was the 35,854 fans at the first Saturday game of the year versus the Rangers. With a slow start by the team and some poor starting pitching performances, it is hard to imagine this number improving significantly in the coming months.
     
    From my perspective as a season ticket holder for the Twins, it was very easy to sell tickets for the first two years at Target Field. I could have multiple seats for all 81 home games and still find a way to sell tickets to friend, family, and on StubHub. In 2010, I lived over five hours away from Target Field and I was still able to have the full sheets of tickets for all 81 home games. In the second season at Target Field, it was still very easy to sell tickets to acquaintances and on the internet. But by the last month of the season, it was hard to even give the tickets away. The demand to go and watch a team fighting to stay away from 100-losses was not out there in the Twin Cities.
     
    Target Field is still one of the most beautiful venues at which to watch a baseball game. The food selection is amazing, the sightlines are excellent, and the ballpark experience is second to none. For the team to get back to selling out games, it is going to take having a winning team on the field. It seems like that might be a tough request in 2012 so it will be interesting to see how attendance fairs as the weather starts to warm up in the summer months.
  24. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_bWFQY5qQ0M/T5VC1GRcBMI/AAAAAAAABM4/o-C_AlqMuUs/s320/LirianoHiding.jpg

    At the end of spring training, it seemed that Francisco Liriano was posed to have a strong start to the year. After pitching in the Dominican Winter League, Liriano had seemed to have it all together in spring training and he was ready to help the Twins forget about the headaches involved with the 2011 season. But here is a prime example of why you shouldn't trust spring training numbers because the results on the field have been disastrous.
     
    The statistics from his time on the mound this year are tough to look at. His ERA is 11.02 with an awful 2.327 WHIP and he has given up the most earned runs (20) and walks (13) in the entire American League. He hasn't been able to make it deep into games either with an average of just over four innings per start. Four starts into the 2012 season and the Twins are planning to "take a step back" with their left-handed hurler.
     
    This phrase can take on a whole bunch of meanings but the Twins can ill afford to leave him in the starting rotation. He has only made it through the fifth inning in two of his outings and he has hardly put the Twins in position to win by giving up an average of five runs per start. In the coming days, he could be asked to move to the bullpen and this would start a chain of events for the Twins.
     
    There are a couple of options for the Twins to fill the rotation spot that would be vacated by Liriano. With a couple of starters missing at the beginning of the year, Anthony Swarzak was asked to start the year in the rotation. He had one bad start earlier this week in New York but his first two appearances of the year were solid. The team has also seen some marginal success from Swarzak as a starter in the past. For his career when he starts, Swarzak has posted a 5.50 ERA and a 1.471 WHIP in 26 starts. These are not eye popping numbers but anything looks better than what Liriano has produced so far this year.
     
    If the Twins want to leave Swarzak in his role as a relief option, the Twins could look to the minor leagues to fill Liriano's rotation spot. Scott Diamond has been one of the best pitchers at the start of the season at the Triple-A level. He has some outstanding numbers in his four starts with an ERA of 1.07 and a 1.026 WHIP in 26.1 innings on the mound. In fact out of his four starts this year, he has only given up earned runs in one of is outings. His hot start to the season could be hard for the front office to ignore with a possible rotation spot to fill.
     
    The Twins seem determined to try and help Liriano to regain some of his confidence. One of the only ways for this to happen could be for him to shift to a different role out of the bullpen. This begs the question, where does Liriano fit into the bullpen? Would he be used as a long relief man for starters who aren't able to get far into a game? This might end up being a mop-up role but the Twins need him to spend some time on the mound in non-pressure situations.
     
    At the end of last season, the Twins gave Liriano a couple of relief appearances as the team was trying to limit the pain on a rough season. In one of these outings, the team was down by significant margin so there wasn't a lot of pressure on him and he managed to pitch two innings without any damage. The other contest was tied at two when he entered and the Indians ended up scoring five earned runs off of Liriano in a third of an inning. During his entire big league career, Liriano has an ERA of 4.46 with a 1.427 WHIP in 34.1 innings as a relief pitcher. Both of these numbers are higher than his career average as a starter.
     
    Near the start of spring training, I wrote about the possibility of Liriano not being with the Twins beyond the coming season. In this piece, I wrote that if Liriano were pitching well, the team would probably try to trade him before the deadline. That scenario doesn't seem to be coming true so my other point was that a bad season from Liriano could spell the end of his Twins career. For Lirano to have any trade value for the Twins, he would need to have a miraculous turnaround in the next couple of months. Barring a miracle, it looks like the Twins will shift Liriano to the bullpen and then part ways with the struggling pitcher at the end of the season.
     
    A once promising career with the Twins will always leave fans wondering what could have been for the player who was suppose to be an ace for years to come.
  25. Cody Christie
    Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Seth Stohs and the other TwinsCentric guys have put together an interesting concept for inclusion on their website, TwinsDaily. Yesterday morning fans were asked to "adopt" a player from the Twins minor league system to follow as that player travels through the farm system. Each player was only allowed to be pick once and it was offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
     
    Once you selected a player the rules became pretty simple. You were required to write an introductory post that included their basic information like height, weight, and handedness. This first post could also include their previous stats from their time in the minor leagues. Then during the rest of the year you are required to post at least once a week about their progress in the system. Overall it is going to be a fun process to watch develop over at the TwinsDaily site.
     
    I got to the selection forum about a half hour after the forum went live so some of the top prospects were already off of the board. I "adopted" Adrian Salcedo, the number seven ranked prospect in my top 20 Twins prospects for the start of the 2012 season. I wrote a short introductory post last night on TwinsDaily with the basic information about Salcedo and his statistics for the seasons he has completed through 2011.
     
    So throughout the year, I will be periodically updating you on one of the top pitching prospects in the Twins minor league system. Below you will find a introductory post on Salcedo with some information about how he got to this point in his career.
     
    Enjoy the first step in my "Adopt-A-Prospect" series with Adrian Salcedo.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIe3abZOKUg/T5X6DR2bOdI/AAAAAAAABNA/GpSkUKFKL0w/s320/AdrainSalcedoMiracle.jpg


    Salcedo joined the Twins as a young 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic back in 2007 and in his time in the organization, he has done nothing but impress as he has moved consistently through the farm system. The lanky 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher is at the beginning of his fifth year as a pitcher in the organization and he has worked his way through the system to the starting rotation of the High-A Fort Myers Miracle. His journey from the Dominican Republic to this point in his career has been quite the story and he seems destined for Minnesota.
     
     


    In his first year with the Twins organization, Salcedo was asked to pitch in the Dominican Summer League. That first season allowed Salcedo to show his ability to be a control pitcher by only giving up eight walks and having a 0.842 WHIP. His 65.1 innings on the mound were solid as he posted a 1.65 ERA as a 17-year-old. It was a good start to his career and the Twins were happy with their new signee.
     
    The following season Salcedo came stateside for his first short-season in the Gulf Coast League. It seemed that the transition did not even impact Salcedo as he was able to post very good numbers for the second year in a row. His outstanding ERA from the year before went even lower to 1.46 with the GCL Twins. The Twins like control pitchers and he continued to fit this mold by only allowing three walks and a 1.022 WHIP. He pitched 61.2 innings and his SO/BB rate was 19.33, an off the charts number.
     
    Salcedo had caught the eyes of many in the Twins organization and he would be throw into the fire at the beginning of the 2010 season. The Fort Myers Miracle had some issues in their starting rotation and Salcedo was asked to make six starts with them to start the season. He had never pitched higher than the rookie leagues so this was a big jump to make for a 19-year-old. As could be predicted, there were some bumps along the way but the experience he gained with the Miracle could help him in the long run. Eventually, he would be sent back to the rookie leagues with the E-Twins and this level of competition seemed to help Salcedo get back on track. During his time in Elizabethton, he was twice named the pitcher of the week for the entire league. He ended the year with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.232 WHIP in 93.1 innings pitched between both levels.
     
    The start of the 2011 season would be another transition year for Salcedo because this would be his first year in a full season league. He quickly showed he belonged in the Midwest League by striking out 10 batters in his first trip to the mound. From there Salcedo would put up impressive numbers by posting a 2.93 ERA and a 1.170 WHIP in 135.0 innings on the mound. At the mid-season point, he was named as a Midwest League All-Star for his stellar play on the field. The Twins are being careful with Salcedo and he was asked to be a relief pitcher at the end of the year so the organization could limit his innings.
     
    Salcedo began this year in familiar territory with the Fort Myers Miracle but this time he would be playing at his own level. He has made three starts this year and in each of the outings, he has allowed two earned runs or less. The team is still working to stretch Salcedo out because he has not pitch more than five innings in any of his appearances. The one stat that sticks out so far in 2012 is the eight walks he has given up. For a control pitcher, the Twins will want him to be able to keep his amount of walks to a minimal amount. It is still early in the year so there is plenty of time for Salcedo to show that he is one of the best prospects in the Twins organization.
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