AJPettersen

Hopefully this story can bring you a little cheer for the holiday season, baseball season is right around the corner, hang in there! While we all expected Miguel Sano to debut last season, we are still waiting to see him at Target Field. Having played with him for about 250 games, I have seen him do some incredible things. Here is why I am excited to see him in a Twins uniform and also why I think you will love watching him play in Minneapolis for many years.This is a two-part story and it is probably my favorite memory from my time playing with Sano. It started in Fort Myers playing the St. Louis Cardinals' High-A affiliate, Palm Beach. We were down a couple of runs late in the game when Sano came up with the bases loaded. With a penchant for dramatic situations, he promptly launched a grand slam deep into the Florida night off of this lanky, slinging righty. He probably stood at home plate a little too long and neither the pitcher, nor the opposing pitching coach, liked that very much. They exchanged words as he crossed home and later as he trotted out to the field the next inning. Things settled and the event ended without anything further. We all had thought it was over. Fast forward two weeks and we were in Palm Beach playing the Cardinals at their place. We had a big lead early in the game and the lanky, slinging righty came out of the pen for some mop-up innings. Sano was the first batter he faced. All of us had forgotten what had happened a couple of weeks prior, except the pitcher, pitching coach… and of course, Sano. The pitcher proceeded to throw the first pitch right at his head, missing only slightly. Throwing at one of our top prospects wasn’t OK, so some choice words were exchanged between dugouts and the field. Sano stepped out calmly, stared down the pitching coach and the pitcher and stepped back in. When the count got to 3-1, the lanky righty threw a meatball and Sano angrily launched a towering blast to left center, spiked his bat, stood at home, and screamed a mix of expletives in English and in Spanish before walking towards first base. He was immediately ejected, which made Doug Mientkiewicz explode from his third base coach’s box. The picture that is seared into my memory is Sano coming around third, a look of anger mixed with a smirk, as Doug is being ejected just inside the foul line. I have never seen someone hit home runs on command like Miguel does. That memory is one of many reasons I am excited to see Sano in Minneapolis. Not only is he a bubbly personality and a genuinely nice guy, he cares and he will bring a ton of excitement to the Twins, I know you will agree when you get the chance to see him play next summer. I promise you won’t be disappointed -- he is worth the wait. I wrote an article for the Prospect Handbook with a few lasting memories and lessons learned through my time in pro ball, it is being released soon, so check it out when it is! More information will be available later this week here at Twins Daily. Read AJ's new blog at Re/Max. Click here to view the article

Hopefully this story can bring you a little cheer for the holiday season, baseball season is right around the corner, hang in there! While we all expected Miguel Sano to debut last season, we are still waiting to see him at Target Field. Having played with him for about 250 games, I have seen him do some incredible things. Here is why I am excited to see him in a Twins Uniform and also why I think you will love watching him play in Minneapolis for many years. This is a two part story and it is probably my favorite memory from my time playing with Sano. It started in Fort Myers playing the St. Louis Cardinals High-A affiliate, Palm Beach. We were down a couple of runs late in the game when Sano came up with the bases loaded. A penchant for dramatic situations, he promptly launched a grand slam deep into the Florida night off of this lanky, slinging righty. He probably stood at home plate a little too long and neither the pitcher, nor the opposing pitching coach, liked that very much. They exchanged words as he crossed home and later as he trotted out to the field the next inning. Things settled and the event ended without anything further. We all had thought it was over. Fast forward two weeks and we were in Palm Beach playing the Cardinals at their place. We had a big lead early in the game and the lanky, slinging righty came out of the pen for some mopup innings. Sano was the first batter he faced. All of us had forgotten what had happened a couple of weeks prior, except the pitcher, pitching coach…and of course, Sano. The pitcher proceeded to throw the first pitch right at his head, missing only slightly. Throwing at one of our top prospects wasn’t ok, so some choice words were exchanged between dugouts and the field. Sano stepped out calmly, stared down the pitching coach and the pitcher and stepped back in. When the count got to 3-1, the lanky righty threw a meatball and Sano angrily launched a towering blast to left center, spiked his bat, stood at home, and screamed a mix of expletives in English and in Spanish before walking towards first base. He was immediately ejected, which made Doug explode from his third base coach’s box. The picture that is seared into my memory is Sano coming around third, a look of anger mixed with a smirk, as Doug is being ejected just inside the foul line. I have never seen someone hit home runs on command like Miguel does. That memory is one of many reasons I am excited to see Sano in Minneapolis. Not only is he a bubbly personality and a genuinely nice guy, he cares and he will bring a ton of excitement to the Twins, I know you will agree when you get the chance to see him play next summer. I promise you won’t be disappointed, he is worth the wait. I wrote an article for the Prospect Handbook with a few lasting memories and lessons learned through my time in pro ball, it is being released soon, so check it out when it is!

I wrote this article a while back, but hadn’t edited it until now. I hope you enjoy the update and a glimpse into the wonderful world of Minnesota Town Ball Baseball. When I was younger, we loved the rain. A storm would come in and my brothers and I would run outside while my dad grabbed the wiffleball and bat. Something about the water pouring down made it a little bit more exciting. Now I sit in the Minnetonka High School parking lot, waiting to play. Rain drops fall on the windshield as I check the radar, but today feels different than the last time rain threatened a game of mine. And it's different than the one before that. Rain is a minor leaguer’s best friend, it offers hope of an extra day off, but I don’t want tonight off. I'm slated to start at shortstop for the Hopkins Berries, a town ball team in the Riverview League. Tonight we face the Minnetonka Millers, the perennial best team in the state. I feel different than I usually feel. I want to play tonight. I don’t care if it’s in the rain, I want to play. This is the exact feeling I was searching for when I signed up to play with a couple of friends. Welcome back, baseball. You have my attention. Town ball has been an integral part of Minnesota for a long time. Teams in cities large and small form to play in front of hometown crowds on cool summer nights. On any given evening you can find a game in places like Dundas, New Ulm and Saint Louis Park. Young kids and oftentimes, grown men, face up against each other for the love of the game. No one is being paid, there is no hope of reaching a higher level, no call-ups or demotions, just pure, unadulterated baseball. Just what I was looking for. My team meets about 45 minutes before games-we chat about the week, take a few swings in the cage, do a little stretching, play catch and take the field. No pressure, just baseball. Sometime during my career, I lost love for playing in the rain, literally and figuratively. I sought to escape the difficult parts of the season. I hoped for washed out games to help me physically escape from the park. Instead of being in a tough time, instead of standing in it and being ok, I sought to run away. Now I want to stand in the rain, I want to get back to being a part of the game I love, every part of it. The game starts a little late and I step into the batter’s box in the first inning. The same box I stepped into for the first time 7 years earlier as a high school senior. My soul finds its home in this space. A slight drizzle continues to fall and I am taken back to my childhood. I look towards the mound and feel no pressure, no worry about the future or the past, only focused on this moment. All I need to do is be. To be right here where I am, doing what I love. The pitcher winds and delivers the pitch and I am home again.

Bahaha. Sorry Parker, I didn't look at the author, just saw someone else refer to Nick in the comments. It is a great article. I hope Vargas doesn't ditch the leg kick, it is part of what makes him great, he has great rhythm and a natural ability to time a big kick, which makes him hit the ball exceptionally hard. Interesting to see though.

Nick, What was the count on the shortened leg kick swing? He tends to do that with 2 strikes or sometimes makes the adjustment mid game. I'm guessing you won't see that look consistently.

6:15 alarm clock. Pack up. Starbucks stop for caffeine. Hop on I-39 towards Normal, IL. No one above average allowed. Pass through Paw Paw, IL. Home to as many animals as humans. New pup, Willa, hops in the car in LaSalle. Time to take my singing talents to an audience. Go with a Taylor Swift crowd-pleaser. Willa whimpers. Then falls asleep. Alarming number of passengers playing IPads. Apple commercials everywhere. Farm. Oversized semi. Passed by an Illinois driver. Repeat.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Take a bite out of a big cheesy noodle in Champaign, IL. Drive over Kickapoo Creek. Stop for Subs in Salem. Southern accents starting to come out. Miniature Washington Monument in Mount Vernon. Willa unsuccessfully tries to bite a hole in her crate. Stop in Metropolis to see Superman. Superman themed gas station. Large statue. Catch the bottom of the state. Enter Kentucky. Drive by a few houses on wheels. Exit Kentucky. Welcome to Tennessee. Stop to Volunteer. Get to Nashville. Turn up the country music. Hit traffic. Titans’ stadium looks amazing. Squiggly road. Drive down a mountain. Enter Georgia. Exit Georgia-huh? Been through each CD 4 times. Arrive at hotel in Chattanooga. Southern accents in full force. Time for food and sleep. Final day of travel tomorrow. Follow it @apettersen1. Click here to view the article

Sorry it has taken me a few days to get to this post. We just got internet at our new place, so I had been unable to get online. Day 3 started early in the morning. We got up and hit the road at 4am Eastern Time, which felt like 3 to us Midwesterners. To avoid Atlanta traffic we had to be through the city before 6:30 came. We made it to Atlanta around 6 and drove through an amazing cityscape for 10 minutes until we got to a southern suburb. Our first stop was to eat, get gas and more caffeine. Coffee was one of our best friends on the trip. A quick cat nap in a hotel parking lot about an hour later and we were on our way. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Our second stop was more exciting. It was a foggy and rainy day in southern Georgia, but we had to stop in Ashburn to see the World’s Largest Peanut. It sat just off the freeway, but had a long driveway so that visitors could check it out. Download attachment: Worlds Largest Peanut.jpg After Ashburn we pressed on towards Gainesville, but it was still raining when we got there, so we got gas and food and decided to head for our final destination. Four hours later, I rolled down my windows, put on some sunglasses and took the last exit towards our new home. We arrived around 5 at night, exhausted and ready for some sleep. We found a few things we had to take care of immediately (notably a beeping smoke detector) and called it an early night. We have spent the last few days unpacking and getting the necessary items to make the home feel more like ours. I will be heading to the complex for rehab and a workout on Monday morning. It will be nice to get back at it outside and see some familiar faces. I hope everyone is staying warm and wearing purple and gold tonight! Follow me on Twitter @apettersen1 Click here to view the article

​Sorry it has taken me so long to get back on here folks, but I’ll give you my latest news here. Here is a review of the first half. It has been quite a whirlwind. I arrived in Florida with my wife in early January, so I have been doing Twins related activities for a while now. The first change of plans occurred when I found I would be heading to Cedar Rapids to start the season. I was sent down the last week of Spring Training and began to prepare for the trip back up north. In the few days following I got to play with Byron Buxton, which was a treat. The way he goes about his business is impressive and his tool set is off the charts. He is an exciting player to be around.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] I like to say my first promotion was when the trucks were loading up to go to their respective cities. We ship a lot of our items to the cities, so that air travel is less hectic. I was told to take my stuff out of the Cedar Rapids pile because I could be staying in Florida. This was confirmed later in the day. I had been sent down and promoted within a week, minor league baseball can be crazy sometimes. Download attachment: AJ Pettersen.jpg A 12 game win streak, a 24-4 record and a few Sano bombs later and I was heading to Portland, Maine to join New Britain. This was obviously unexpected when the season started, but was a very exciting opportunity. I played a night game in Fort Myers and played the next day at noon in Maine. I arrived in the clubhouse about an hour before the game to find out the pitcher we were facing threw 59-66 MPH. I knew AA would be different, but had they checked their radar gun lately? Charlie Haeger was on the mound-the first predominantly knuckleball pitcher I had ever faced. My dad had been visiting in Florida so he decided to drive my car up the coast (roughly 24 hours) and made it for my second AA game. His reasoning, “this is exciting, this kind of stuff doesn’t happen very often.” Once again, minor league baseball is crazy at times. My wife finished her travel nursing assignment and joined me a few weeks later with our dog. A couple of weeks after that, more friends from Fort Myers joined the Rock Cats. While I haven’t gotten off the best AA start, it has been quite the journey. Sometimes in baseball you have to expect the unexpected. It has been fun getting the chance to play with guys who have been in the big leagues. We faced a pitcher early on, who got his debut a few weeks later. It makes the “Show” seem a lot more attainable. I have seen three knuckleballers, numerous top prospects and some great stadiums. We just got back from Altoona, where a rollercoaster sits beyond right field. Some more highlights have been seeing the hardest ball ever hit (a few nights ago off the bat of Sano) and getting two baseball cards in one season (got promoted at just the right time). I hope to get back on here more often in the coming weeks and look forward to interacting with the Twins Daily community more! Follow me on Twitter @apettersen1 or email me at ajpettersen1@gmail.com. I welcome any and all questions or comments! Click here to view the article

It seems like yesterday I was playing for a 12 year old in house championship. Baseball has taken me from the grass backyards of Minnetonka to either coast and a number of places in between. There are moments I will never forget, there are others I would rather forget. Each day baseball teaches me more and more about myself. The game recently took me to Kane County for a 4 game series against the Kansas City affiliate. Here is my recap:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Memorial day weekend is an important event for minor league affiliates. On Saturday night, there were 7,000 in the crowd. The Zooperstars put on quite a show. They are big blowup mascots with a number of characters from Barack Ollama to Mia Hamster. They did dance shows and skits. The fans went crazy. While the Zooperstars were entertaining, my favorite in between innings promotion was the water balloon launch. A three man crew shot balloons into the stands and the fans were cheering for them. I couldn't hold my laughter. It seemed the fans would go nuts for anything coming from the field. We ended up losing the game, but felt ready for the next one. On Sunday night we knew we would be playing for a large crowd. The attendance came in a bit higher than the previous night at 8,300. I remember the days when my parents would be some of the only ones in the stands. They were still cheering me on in KC, but now it was hard to find them in the crowd. Birdzerk was the promotion tonight, doing skits and getting the crowd excited. The best bit was when he started dancing with Miguel Sano at 3B. This led to Birdzerk 'confusing' Sano and taking and throwing his glove over the fence (not his real glove). The fans loved it. We got the best of them tonight winning and evening the series at one game apiece. Memorial day meant an early game after the night game. We had a quick turn around after arriving home around midnight the previous night. The most important factor in this game was the wind. It was howling from the first pitch to the last. This made for a number of hits in the 12 inning affair. We ended up scoring 6 runs on one of Kane County's first basemen (who came in to pitch) in the top of the 12th. Another victory gave us the 2-1 edge in the series. We put ourselves in position to take the 4 game series with a win tomorrow morning. The final game of the series was another successful one. We won to take 3 of 4 from the Cougars and we had the pleasure to see one of the most unique in between innings promotions yet. Before the top of the 5th inning there was a bobblehead contest. Two young boys put on headband devices and shook, nodded and bobbled for a minute. I thought it was hilarious. A few late homeruns sent the game to extra innings. John Goncalves blooped a ball down the right field line and ended up scoring on a throwing error in the 11th. Tomorrow we head to Quad Cities to take on the River Bandits. The third game of that series will be attended by the Territory Train. I am looking forward to seeing all the diehard fans! Follow me on Twitter! @apettersen1 Download attachment: AJPettersen4.jpg Click here to view the article

We just finished up a three game set in South Bend, IN. Although the series didn't end the way we wanted (we lost two of three), I wanted to share some of the trip. Thursday-Hecklers We arrived in South Bend around noon for a 7 ET game. I wasn't sure what to expect of the stadium and was pleasantly surprised to see turf covering everything except the mound and the bases. Playing a number of games at the Metrodome in my career I felt right at home. A large jumbotron covered the scoreboard in right-center field and the stands stretched around the complex.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] I was in the lineup as the left fielder, which led to my first heckling experience as an outfielder. I watched a week ago as JD Williams was yelled at an entire game by a group of guys celebrating a bachelor party in Clinton, Iowa. I was lucky enough to have four guys calling me names throughout the night. I enjoyed the heckling, but was slightly disappointed the crew didn't come better prepared. During a break in the game one guy blurted out, "Hey number one, you'll never make it to the big leagues..." I waited for his reasoning, "...Cuz you suck!" Man, was I bummed, I suck? I was hoping he had more to throw at me. We got down big early in the game, made a big comeback to take the lead, but ended up losing 12-10. Friday-Food Management My roommate (Adam Bryant) and I woke up around 10 and the search for breakfast began. Just as time management was important in college, food management is vital in professional baseball. Getting healthy food at the right time helps one perform at their peak on the field. Our search took us to a small cafe, where we found Tim Shibuya. He recommended a sausage breakfast sandwich, so I went for it. Later in the day we had to figure out what we would be eating for lunch and dinner. We had a difficult time eating the night before (almost all the restaurants in town were closed), so we decided on Subway. Adam and I both ordered two subs, one for now and one for later. Food management success. It was a big win for us on this night. Behind four hits and three doubles by Miguel Sano, we took game two. He is off to quite a start. Saturday-Stories Saturday morning Tommy Watkins offered to take Adam and I to breakfast. We checked out LePeep, a small cafe in downtown South Bend. The food was fantastic, but Tommy's stories were better. His recollection of playing third base while Johan Santana struck out 17 batters was awesome. Being a Twins fan my whole life made it hit home for me. It must have been amazing to be a part of that experience. The amazing pitching performance topic continued as we were preparing to take the field for our game. We were able to watch the finishing moments of Phil Humber's perfect game. I always wonder how it must feel for someone to go through such an experience. What a moment it must have been for him and his family. Moments like this are why I love baseball. A man can go from being on the fringe to being in the history books in a few short hours. Wow. The game didn't go our way again tonight and we lost the series, but the experiences I had remain. All we can do is look forward and do our best to win our next one. Tweet me! @apettersen1 Download attachment: AJ Pettersen.jpg Click here to view the article

I awake with sore hands and forearms, worry and stress cause me to clench my fists while I sleep-an outward manifestation of an inward feeling. My body tenses up in a reaction to the stresses of life. The only way I am able to defend against my stress reaction is through letting go, through surrendering. The truth is-open hands are always better than clenched fists. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: AJ Pettersen 2.jpg I cut through the Florida morning fog on the way to the complex and see the sun rising over empty fields. I walk into the clubhouse to over 100 peers. Over 100 teammates. Over 100 opportunities. This small space packed full of dreamers used to be chaos to all my senses, but now it appears different. I have changed its meaning. I have dreamed of playing big games on big stages since I was a kid, but the more I play, the more I realize that the journey has been the dream all along. Recently I have wondered if the journey is about more than me. I would love to make a career out of baseball in the big leagues, it is something I strive for, but what if it's about something more? What if I could be a small piece of someone else's dream? What if a little encouragement or advice could help them make a career out of playing in the big leagues? How cool would that be? I return home to see my parents have arrived-they are on vacation from Minnesota. They greet with smiles and hugs. Their presence reminds me of the wisdom they have shown throughout my life. My mom has struggled to see me fail over and over, but she let it happen because she knew I needed to learn. She has an incredible heart and she constantly reminds me that I ought to strive to have a heart like that for others. My dad still texts me before games and reminds me to play free. He knows that in the letting go, I am able to be my best. When I free myself of stress, worries and angst, I play differently. What if everyone let go and worked, learned or played freely? What if we set aside our own stresses and concerned ourselves with the stresses of others? What would that look like? I lay my head down for the night and mark a successful day because my journey has taken an unexpected, profound twist that has left it with far more meaning than before. Follow me on Twitter this year! @apettersen1 Click here to view the article

When I was younger, my brothers and I loved to play video games. We took a liking to games of all kinds, but especially enjoyed playing baseball games together. Typically we wouldn’t “play” many of the games, we would simulate them. This allowed us to get in a number of seasons in a short amount of time. We would sit for hours in front of the television, hanging on every game in the careers of imaginary players on a screen. It sounds ridiculous, but video games gave us a hope that these players could be us one day. Each of us would usually take a liking to a specific guy. This guy would play a similar style to our game and we would take them from draft day to the Hall of Fame…in a few weeks time. We would imagine ourselves in his shoes, getting called on draft day, debuting in the big leagues, becoming an All Star and a hero for his team. It was wash, dry, fold, repeat.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Every year a new game would come out and we would get our hands on it, spending hours trying to perfect our players and our squad into World Series champions. Download attachment: OOTP14_Logo_600px.jpg This has been a way for us to bond as siblings. We still try to play against each other remotely. Over the past few years we have played an online game called Strat-O-Matic Baseball. It was perfect for us because we could play in the same league and the entire game was based on simulation. Recently I stumbled upon a game called Out of the Park Baseball. It too is a game based entirely on simulation, but unlike Strat-O-Matic, it is a comprehensive package. OOTP 14 recently came out and I was given the chance to preview it. If you enjoy Twins Daily’s Prospect and GM Handbooks, you will enjoy this game. While you can sit and imagine what you would do if given the chance to run an organization, this game gives you that opportunity. You control every team to every detail with personalized options available for each player. You control contracts, call-ups and team strategy. The new game added the new rosters for 2013. Free agents can now come from a number of different places-the draft, international signings, independent ball, etc. A new interface makes navigating the game much easier and a new player development tracking system allows you to get a better grip on your farm teams. Download attachment: OOTP141.jpg Download attachment: OOTP142.jpg I thought everyone here at Twins Daily would enjoy it. If you do decide to get the game, be prepared for a possible addiction. I spent a number of hours playing the game right when I got it. I shared this game with my older brother and he immediately began playing. It is a fun way to feel connected to your hometown team and it can also be great way to get to know more guys in the system. If you are interested you can check the game out here: https://store2.esellerate.net/store/checkout/CustomLayout.aspx?s=STR6838997456&pc=&page=OnePageCatalog.htm Follow AJ on Twitter @APettersen1 or email him at AJPettersen1@gmail.com Click here to view the article

Baseball dominates a lot of our time in Beloit, so when we have a day off, we are left without an idea of what to do. An early game yesterday followed by an off day left me with loads of free time, but no clue how to fill it. What could I do to fill a day without baseball? I woke up early to help Jhonathan Goncalves make a trip to the dentist. He is one of the happiest and nicest guys I have ever met. I was friend/teammate/translator for the morning. The best way to learn a language is to speak it, even if I am constantly botching sentences.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] After the dentist I returned back to my host family’s home to find coffee still in the pot. Adam is still in bed? A few minutes later he rolled out of bed, no need to wake up and get moving without a game I suppose. I called my grandma. When I asked how she was, she responded, “I’m still above the grass,” she’s always making me laugh. I decided laundry couldn’t be a bad idea. Three weeks of dirty clothes are starting to pile up in my closet. Can’t ignore the fact that I have worn the same outfit for three straight days. College taught me that all the clothes can go in the washer together. Why separate them? After having some leftovers, a few skittles and more coffee for lunch, it was time to find something to do. Knitter, linguist and Picasso-like pitcher Tim Shibuya was bored and gave Adam a call. He lives in Janesville, but doesn’t have a car. After a few lefts, rights and u-turns, we picked up Shibuya and Steve Gruver. Back at our house we found that four 20-somethings with a lot of time and no idea what to do could only lead to one thing…Call of Duty. I did a lot more losing than winning. Adam was clearly the front runner in the video gaming. I chatted with my dad, he will be making the trip to Cedar Rapids this week. It’s nice being close enough to home for my family and friends to come to a few games. Steve, Tim, Adam and my host dad went out for some fishing in the creek in our backyard while I talked to my fiancé about her day. A little home cooking marked the end of a successful off day. My host mom cooked lasagna with garlic bread. They treat us like we have lived here forever. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of the family. We are off tomorrow morning for a three game road series. What do you want to know about my minor league experience? Tweet at me: @apettersen1 Download attachment: ajpettersen.jpg Click here to view the article