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While members of 40-man rosters are unable to participate in spring training due to the owner’s lockout, things are certainly not quiet around the fields around Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. Normally as the calendar reaches late February, we start seeing photos and fun stories from Hammond Stadium. Your favorite Twins writers are writing feel-good articles about all the players who reported to camp in the Best Shape of their Life. We should be reading about how new parents enjoyed sleepless nights caring for their infants. We would be anxiously awaiting the Twins and Gophers playing an exhibition game on Friday night. Twins photographer Brace Hemmelgarn would be posting photos of the green grass, players smiling as they play catch and stretch. We would see pictures of players by the batting cages, and we would see video of pitchers throwing in the bullpen, many in slow-motion for good measure. In general, we should be seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of spring training. However, with the lockout, we have seen almost none of it. Unfortunately, we don’t know when we will have big-league spring training. However, the grass is quite green in Ft. Myers. The fields look immaculate, and over 100 Twins minor leaguers have already arrived and reported early to spring training. I have heard that as of Wednesday, only five players had not yet reported. The bullpens around Hammond Stadium and the back fields are being used daily. Infielders are taking ground balls. Outfielders are catching fly balls. Hitters are working in the indoor batting cages or out on the fields. RHP Yennier Cano throwing off the Hammond Stadium mound recently. Photo by William Parmeter. The team’s academy, built nearly a decade ago, has proven to be a great investment as it allows players to come to Ft. Myers early, get work in with some coaching, weight room time, and in a facility with a comfortable bed and three meals each day. In addition, it allows for the Twins to conduct mini-camps in the offseason. Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan said that this offseason provided some return to normalcy. He added, “We were able to run those camps starting – we started Jan. 17 – and we were able to run those programs.” At the mini-camp in January, there were 35 players, with some catchers to catch bullpens. Most pitchers were shut down completely and had thrown very little since the end of the instructional league. Instead of showing up in late February and trying to ramp up within a month, they start at the mid-January camp, working on things while ramping up to be ready to start their season. While we are now two years removed from a lost season for minor league pitchers, the reality is that it could affect pitchers beyond just 2021. It’s something that the organization is thinking about all the time. “I think the injury front last year was a tough thing across the league. If you look at injuries on a global level they were really elevated. It's certainly on our minds. We're trying to take as responsible an approach as we can to those guys but ultimately, we want to get them healthy and on the mound and recoup some of that work that they missed.” Hassan continued, “It is a balance there, listening to the player and trying to monitor them in every way you can, from an assessment standpoint, from a strength standpoint, from a mobility standpoint, where they're at. Build them up responsibly and try and have them get on the mound and pitch because that is ultimately what we need them to do. We're going to try to be as measured as we can and make sure we're doing everything we can to get those guys healthy.” It will remain something to watch heading into 2022, and even beyond. Hassan did mention that Luis Rijo has reported. He had Tommy John surgery late in the season last year and will be delayed. Tyler Beck was on an episode of Twins Spotlight shortly after last season and we learned (by the video and then by his words) that he had Tommy John surgery right after the season too. There was once a perception that the Twins pitcher development focus was in creating cookie-cutter pitchers with a pitch-to-contact mentality. If that was true, and it certainly was at least exaggerated, the current pitcher development is completely the opposite. As we know, the Twins now have the most current technology and analytics and use it with each player to develop their own improvement plans. And at these pitching camps, they are working with the coaches and coordinators on specific skills. Hassan said, “There was certainly a huge skill focus, but as we all know, issues for pitchers can be wide-ranging, whether it's command work to get in the zone more often. Or if you don't miss enough bats, understanding why that is. Is it a velocity issue? Is it a pitch movement issue? Is it a usage issue? Certain guys, for health reasons, are working on certain things delivery-wise, trying to lessen some stress on their arms or just throughout their delivery. There were, and I think, as we've shifted over the years, it's certainly become more individualized based on what the pitcher's need is and what the greatest area for impact is.” For me, that is the most exciting thing I am looking forward to, which pitchers will make their MLB debuts, and which unknown pitching prospects will take a leap like Josh Winder. BIG LEAGUE COACHING Rocco Baldelli and his big-league coaching staff are in Ft. Myers. They are at the facilities five days a week until their spring training starts. They can be seen at times on the fields working with minor leaguers, or simply getting an opportunity to see some of these players work, make some introductions and just be seen and available. At the same time, that group is having their own meetings, allowing them to get to know some of the new coaches such as Jayce Tingler, David Popkins, Hank Conger, and Luis Ramirez. HAMMOND STADIUM BOARDWALK OPEN, TICKETS AVAILABLE If you are interested in heading to Ft. Myers for spring training once big-league games start, you will note that the Hammond Stadium Boardwalk is in the process of being reinforced and is expected to be completed before spring training games. The reinforcement is an agreed-upon, safe interim solution as the county and its partners work toward a final plan for the Boardwalk. For Twins ticket sales, including on the Boardwalk, go to www.twinsbaseball.com or call 800-33-TWINS. As of right now, the Twins have 12 scheduled Grapefruit League home games. The first game is currently scheduled for March 6, though that is, of course, subject to change. ROSTER SIZES Last week, a report came out that the owners were proposing the elimination of more minor league players and roster spots. They wanted to limit the number of players on rosters between the Twins domestic affiliates and a Reserve List to 150 players. Reportedly that is now off the table, but in case you were wondering, the Twins have 180 players rostered or on reserve lists in the States. Hassan noted, “We’ll try and make the best of those 180 players and try to help as many of those guys get to the big leagues as possible.” DOMINICAN ACADEMY Hassan reported that things are business as usual at the Twins Dominican academy. “Our signing class from the past year is there. Our players that are returning are on-site at the academy (doing) education work, strength and conditioning work, and we’re ramping up baseball work for spring training like we normally would.” The only thing they’re missing is an official start date. That will be determined by Major League Baseball. --------------------- At Twins Daily, we look to provide fans with more minor league content and information than you can find anywhere else, and that includes spring training. Be sure to check back often as there will be more stories and interviews in coming days. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

The lockout continues. Most Twins minor leaguers have reported to Ft. Myers for spring training, and there are some unique roster situations and issues from most years. Then again, the past couple of seasons have been a bit wild too. In March of 2020, Twins minor leaguers had just reported to Ft. Myers for spring training. Then the Covid pandemic showed up, minor leaguers were sent home, and eventually, the minor league season was canceled. Players scrambled, not knowing if or when they could get back to southwest Florida. The minor league coaches and coordinators were trying to work with the minor league players, checking in on their work each week, zoom calls to have conversations on how to progress. Sure, some top prospects got to do some work at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul that summer, but very few. There was no Arizona Fall League, but fortunately, at least some of the team’s prospects were able to travel to Ft. Myers for an instructional league camp. Let’s jump to February of 2021. Major League spring training started on time, but there were no guarantees of a minor league season. Big league camp was comprised of those on the 40-man roster, the non-roster invitees, and a group at “development camp.” Those players worked just like usual, and they were the players brought to spring training games to work the innings and get the at-bats after the starters got their work in. The minor league season was delayed. Instead of reporting to Ft. Myers and officially starting camp in early March, they reported by April 1st. That allowed the major-league players and team to vacate the facilities and the minor leaguers to enter. Again, there was an “alternate” site in St. Paul, so several minor league veterans and players could be called up to the Twins on short notice (and many were because of injuries and a mini-Covid situation in April). The minor league season started on May 5th, but even that had a completely different feel. MLB spent the previous offseason eliminating several minor league teams from affiliated status. The PDCs (Player Development Contracts) were essentially torn up, and new affiliations were made. Those teams each signed 10-year PDCs. After two decades in Rochester, New York, the Twins' new Triple-A affiliate was the St. Paul Saints. It was an excellent move for the Twins and the players who often found themselves (and their families) moving up and down from Triple-A to the big leagues. After a year with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as their Double-A affiliate, the Twins now call the Wichita Wind Surge their new Double-A affiliate. The city had just completed a state-of-the-art stadium and facilities on the river, and it was a great situation for the Twins. Now the Twins maintained the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels as their A-Ball affiliates. However, they switched places. Cedar Rapids was “promoted’ to High-A while the Mighty Mussels were now the team’s Low-A affiliate. Cedar Rapids has been a terrific affiliate for the Twins. They are in close proximity to the Twin Cities but also reasonably close to Wichita. With the Twins minor league and spring training complex in Ft. Myers, it made sense to have the Mighty Mussels be the next rung up as there are several promotions and demotions at that level. However, the Twins lost their affiliation with the Advanced-Rookie level Elizabethton Twins. The Appalachian League was changed to a college wood bat league, and the team changed it's name from the Twins to the River Riders. It was disappointing for several reasons, none more than that they had been a Twins affiliate for 45 seasons. But that did create some challenges. Elizabethton was where high school picks or international signings would usually go in their second pro season after playing in the GCL. It was also an excellent place for players drafted out of college to make their professional debut. Without Elizabethton, the next step up the organizational ladder was Ft. Myers. And while that “jump” is just across the parking lot in Ft. Myers, the quality of play can be vastly different. It is a lost level for development. While college players can more easily make that jump, it is a giant leap for a high school player like Keoni Cavaco or a top international signing like Misael Urbina. Recently, Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan discussed how the loss of Elizabethton altered what was done in 2021, and they will likely take what they learned a year ago into the 2022 season. “It's certainly changed the dynamic, especially how you think about that level. Misael Urbina is probably a good example of that, too, where he went last year, and it felt like a stretch, but he didn't have other options. I think it has really re-framed the way we're looking at some of those things. In terms of the Low-A level, in terms of guys in that class that are high school players, in some ways, you might think about that as a two-year (level) depending upon performance, but more of a two-year level than you probably have in the past where if guys performed OK or at a decent level, you've gone year to year moving up each level. I do think that's one way we're trying to think about it. If a guy repeats that level, it maybe will become more of the norm than not for that class of player.” If you are wondering, I think it is fair to say that Misael Urbina will repeat at Low-A. It is also a challenge in the Florida Complex League (FCL, formerly the GCL). There are all the players who have remained at “Extended Spring Training.” They bring over several players from the Dominican Republic. Additionally, the players drafted that summer report and filled up roster spots. In other words, it can be challenging to get enough at-bats or innings pitched for all of those players. “I think it has just forced us to think about those levels a tick differently and trying to get creative in the ways that we can get guys work and not overreact to performance in the short term.” This brings us to 2022, a third straight weird season for minor leaguers and player development staff. With the lockout, and the inability for 40-man roster players to participate in minor league spring training, the organization has had to add players. But Hassan takes it all in stride, noting it’s much easier than wondering if you were going to even have a season. Twins' former Minor League Director, Brad Steil, is now the team's Director of Player Procurement. He works with the pro scouts. The information his group gathers can be used in trade discussions, but in the offseason, signing minor league free agents based on their feedback is essential. Understanding that several players on the 40-man roster would start the season in Double-A or Triple-A, they have added a few extra veteran minor league free agents for needed depth. Hassan said, “We certainly have plans throughout the offseason for bringing additional depth. There are still opportunities where we can continue to build our depth across our organization, and some of that will just continue as we go into Spring Training. I think just having clarity on the fact that we're going to start the Minor League season has been helpful and allowed us to plan a little bit further ahead than we were able to last year.” When spring training games start, the Twins can pull up players from the Complex roster to play at other levels or generally shift people around to fill rosters for those games. However, as the season approaches, they will have to continue to monitor their rosters and the lockout situation to determine if they need to sign more players. This issue is certainly not limited to the Twins. All 30 teams will have to work through their roster needs, particularly Triple-A. Rule 5 Draft? Potentially the strangest situation that player development staffs around the league face this year involves the Rule 5 draft. “I hope they just cancel it. That would be the best case. Maybe not. But yeah, it is weird. We have some eligible players, and they’re here, and we’re working with them to develop them as best we can. I don’t know what the plan is for that. But yeah, it’s weird. because normally it’s resolved, and you know who’s here and who’s not here.” Hassan continued, “Hope for the guys we have here, continue to work with those guys and develop those guys.” This feels like a good place to post a William Parmeter photo from spring training. Recently, Jordan Gore, who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft was working a session on the Hammond Stadium mound. That is some impressive flow! Minor League Housing Maybe the best news to come out of the offseason relates to the minor leagues is that players will no longer have to pay for housing at minor league sites. Alex Hassan spent eight seasons in professional baseball, so he understands that struggle and stress. He said, “That’s something, first and foremost, that I am personally thrilled about. I couldn’t possibly be happier, taking that burden off the players. I remember back when I was playing, it was always an area of stress. Your lease. Short-term lease, first and foremost, which is tougher to find. Having to potentially break the lease and find new roommates. I think those are real challenges. And I couldn’t be happier that we’re taking that step.” Hasson praised the Complex and dorms in Ft. Myers. They have 54 rooms and three meals each day for the players and staff. That helps the FCL and the players on the Complete roster. The Cedar Rapids Kernels have long had a very strong host-family program to help its players. “Within the policy, you can use host families. There are certain criteria that have to meet in order to qualify for host family housing. In Cedar Rapids, I think we have one of the best host family programs in minor league baseball. We’re very fortunate on that front that players will continue to be able to use that opportunity in Cedar Rapids.” In both Wichita and St. Paul, the Twins have apartments for players. “Wichita is fully furnished, and it’s actually right across the street from the stadium. So it’s a really good setup in Wichita. And we have an apartment complex that we’re working with in St. Paul. The team is responsible for basically everything that goes into the apartment, providing bed and furniture and tables, forks and knives and linens, and cable and internet. The team provides all that stuff, and the players are not signing leases anywhere they’re staying.” A third straight “weird” year in the minor leagues and with player development is upon us. But we will have full schedules for the team’s four full-season affiliates. Players received a bump in pay a couple of years ago, but that still needs to improve significantly to put players above the poverty line. At this point, most minor league players are nowhere near that low floor. But getting their housing paid for is a big help as well. Conditions have improved some, and hopefully, improvements will continue. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins and their affiliates announced their managers and coaching staffs for the 2022 season. In addition, the full Player Development staff was announced. All four full-season affiliates will have their 2021 manager return to lead them again in 2022. The St. Paul Saints will be led again by Toby Gardenhire. Ramon Borrego will be managing the Wichita Wind Surge. Brian Dinkelman returns to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and Brian Meyer will be again managing the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. Player Development Staff and Minor League Coordinators Alex Hassan returns for his third season as Director of Player Development. His assistant directors will be Drew MacPhail and Tommy Bergjans. Brian Maloney starts his sixth year as the senior manager of minor league operations. Kevin Morgan was on the Twins big league coaching staff much of last season as an additional coach following the loss of Mike Bell. He is returning to the role he was hired by the Twins in 2020 to hold, Minor League Field Coordinator. Edgar Varela had been the Twins hitting coach the previous two seasons. He returns to his roots as the Coordinator of Instruction. Justin Willard will return for his second season as the Twins Pitching Coordinator. Zach Bove will be the assistant pitching coordinator. Nat Ballenberg will also be a pitching coordinator for "special projects." Bryce Berg joined the Twins organization a year ago and was the Cedar Rapids hitting coach. This year, he will be the organization's Minor League Hitting Coordinator. Tucker Frawley will take over as Infield and Catching Coordinator. They are new to those specific positions. A year ago, Donegal Fergus (hitting coordinator), Billy Boyer (infield and base running coordinator) and Michael Thomas (catching coordinator) were let go during spring training. Mike Quade returns for his fifth season as the Outfield Coordinator. St. Paul Saints Toby Gardenhire (39) returns for his second season at the Saints' helm. He was to be the Rochester Red Wings manager in the 2020 season that didn't happen. Before that, he was a manager in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. Matt Borgschulte was the Saints Hitting Coach in 2021, but he is now one of the MLB hitting coaches for the Baltimore Orioles. Ryan Smith takes over the hitting coach duties in St. Paul. He had been with Wichita a year ago and Cedar Rapids the previous two seasons. He coached in the Arizona Fall League in 2021 as well. Cibney Bello returns to the Saints as one of their pitching coaches. It is his seventh season in the organization and second with the Saints. He will be joined by former big-leaguer Virgil Vasquez (Pirates, Tigers). He is in his eighth season as a coach in the Twins organization. Last year, he was in Wichita. Mike McCarthy was one of the team's pitching coaches in 2021, but he has joined the San Diego Padres organization in the same role. Tyler Smarslok will return as the Saints' defensive coach. He also coached first base most of the season. Wichita Wind Surge Ramon Borrego returns to the Wind Surge after they won the division title in 2021. He is in his 12th season as a manager in the organization. “We are thrilled to have Ramon back in Wichita and look forward to the season,” said Jordan Kobritz, Wind Surge CEO. “Ramon and his staff did a fantastic job developing players last season, with two Wind Surge players promoted to the Majors and several others to Triple A.” Derek Shomon was named the team's hitting coach, the role he performed in 2021 for Ft. Myers. Joe Mangiameli returns as the team's catching coach. Wichita will have two new pitching coaches in 2022. Peter Larson jumps up from Low-A Ft. Myers this year. He is in his fourth year in the organization. Dan Urbina is also in his fourth season with the Twins. He was a pitching coach in the FCL a year ago. Luis Ramirez had been one of the team's pitching coaches in 2021. He has joined the Twins big-league staff. Cedar Rapids Kernels Former Twins infielder Brian Dinkelman returns for his third season as Kernels manager. Before that, hew as the team's hitting coach. Dinkelman said, “I’m looking forward to another exciting season of baseball in Cedar Rapids. I’m excited to be back as manager of the Kernels and the opportunity to play in front of the home crowd. It should be another great season at the ballpark.” Jairo Rodriguez returns for his second season as a coach for the Kernels. It is his 15th season in the Twins organization. He played from 2007 through 2016 before joining the organization's coaching ranks. In fact, he played for the 2013 Cedar Rapids Kernels, the first year as a Twins affiliate. Shawn Schlechter moves up from the FCL as a hitting coach. Mark Moriarity and Richard Salazar will both return to the Kernels as their co-pitching coaches in 2022. Kernels General Manager, Scott Wilson, “I am very excited to have nearly the entire coaching staff back from last year. These are the coaches that took us to game 5 of the playoffs, after a year off. They are very competitive, and great with our fans. We are lucky to have this quality staff, with a couple new names, back for another year. Bring on April 8th!” Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Brian Meyer was set to be the hitting coach a year ago for the Mussels, but when Aaron Sutton retired from the coaching world before spring training, Meyer was named manager. Takashi Miyoshi, who managed the FCL Twins a year ago and has worked in Elizabethton and other roles in the organization, will be the bench coach. Rayden Sierra, hired in April of 2021, will be the hitting coach again in 2022. Former big-leaguer Carlos Hernandez will return for his fifth season in the organization, third straight year as a pitching coach for Ft. Myers. He pitched for the Astros from 2001-2004. Jared Gaynor in the other pitching coach. He is in his fourth season in the organization. “We have a development-driven staff with a lot of diversity in our backgrounds and within the game, which will help us all continue to grow,” Meyer said. “With Ray Sierra and Carlos Hernandez returning, we have experience in navigating through the demands of the league, which in turn we can help the players adjust to.” Florida Complex League Seth Feldman will be the first-year manager for the FCL Twins after managing in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) the past two years). He will have four hitting coaches. Former Twins minor leaguer Yeison Perez returns while Andrew DiTullio, Emilio Guerrero and Luis Reyes are the others. Former big leaguer Calvin Maduro and Bobby Hearn return to the FCL pitching coach role. They are joined by Erick Julio as a third pitching coach. In addition, Brad McKenney will be the team's analytics coach. Anders Dzurak will be the rehab pitching coach. Dominican Summer League Rafael Martinez will be the manager for the DSL Twins. It is his first year in the organization. Ricardo Nanita returns for his second season as a hitting coach. Ruben Santana, a middle infielder in the Twins organization from 2015-2021 will also be a hitting coach. Jimmy Alvarez will be an infield coach for the team. He has coached in the DSL going all the way back to 2009. DJ Engle will be a pitching coach for the second straight season. Kevin Rodriguez returns for his fourth season as a pitching coach. View full article

Ryan Jeffers was in his hotel room in St. Paul when his phone rang at after 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday night. He had an idea what it might be about, so he answered it. On the other side of that call was Twins Minor League Director Alex Hassan who gave Jeffers the news that every baseball player dreams of. Jeffers was heading across the Mississippi River to play in the big leagues. On Thursday night, he made his MLB debut and impressed.When the Twins drafted catcher Ryan Jeffers from UNCW in the 2nd round of the 2018 MLB draft, it surprised a lot of draft experts and Twins fans. He wasn’t known as a top draft prospect. He was known as a hit-first catcher who might not be able to play that position in the big leagues.This spring, Baseball America ranked him as the top defensive player in the Twins minor leagues. Over the remainder of the 2018 season as well as the 2019 season, he climbed Twins prospects rankings. In fact, before the 2020 season, Twins Daily ranked him as the #7 Twins prospect. This spring, he was invited to big league spring training in Ft. Myers for the first time. While he didn’t get a lot of at bats, he worked with the pitching staff and the big-league coaches. He also got to work with Mitch Garver and the veteran Alex Avila. He was named to the Twins 60-player pool and has been working out and trying to stay ready in St. Paul. Ready for that call. "Yeah, last night, our farm director, Alex Hassan, called me at like 11:30 and told me (that he was being called up). I was kind of following the game and saw that Garver did something to this side or whatever it was, so I was staying by my phone just in case. I got the call, and I was caught off guard, choked up a little bit, couldn't really find the words, but it was such an amazing feeling getting that call." If it was after 11:00 central time, it was really late back home of North Carolina, but he still had to make a couple of important phone calls to make. “(I) Talked to my parents and my wife’s parents last night, it was midnight back home in North Carolina, but I talked to both of them today, making sure they remembered our conversation from the night before.” With Willians Astudillo now cleared, optioned, and working in St. Paul, it was a bit of a surprise that the Twins purchased the contract of Jeffers. But Rocco Baldelli made it clear how they feel about Jeffers and how he can help this Twins team. The Twins manager said, “Ryan’s a guy that hasn't played a ton at the big league level. One night. But when you watch him go about his work behind the plate, in the clubhouse, at the plate with the bat in his hands, he is very confident and comfortable. He has a very good way about him, he works well with others. He’s a very intelligent guy, he’s very prepared for the game.” Jeffers fouled out to end the bottom of the sixth inning. Then in the bottom of the eighth inning, he was hit by a pitch. In doing so, he became the first Twins player to reach base three times in his debut since Brian Dinkelman (now the Cedar Rapids Kernels manager) did in 2011. A Twins Daily writer asked Jeffers if he got the baseball from his first hit and if he had any plans for it yet. Jeffers reached into his back pocket and pulled out two baseballs. “I got both of them in my pocket right now. They've got these little silver stickers on them. I'll probably put them on a shelf somewhere and hold onto them pretty tight.” His manager was pretty impressed with the 23-year-old’s debut. Baldelli said, “He brought it out there on the field. He did a great job behind the plate. He’s a guy that knows what’s going on in the game; his awareness level is very high. We got to see all of that come together. Seeing him work with Jose Berrios that well on day one is a tremendous sign for things to come.” Asked to try to reflect on where he’s come over the last few years, Jeffers noted. “It's been awesome. It's been a wild ride from walking on at UNCW, spending three years there, really establishing myself there, and then getting drafted and going through the Minors the first year and then last year. Then, coming in this year and not being really sure of the plan and how COVID was going to affect the season and affect everything. I found myself in St. Paul, and finally getting the call to come over here and do what I can to help this team. So it's been a wild ride. It's been an awesome ride. I'm excited to keep it going.” Twins fans should be excited too. Picking a favorite memory for today and this game would be difficult. “There's so much I could say. Walking up to the plate for the first time and hearing your name called. Going out there and having José throw the way he did. Getting that first RBI. There's so many memories from tonight. I'm going to cherish all of them.” ------------------------------------ Less than two years after being a surprise second round pick, he has arrived in the big leagues. Interestingly, the second overall pick in that 2018 draft was catcher Joey Bart from Georgia Tech. Bart made his MLB debut on this same night for the San Francisco Giants. Bart had a double in four at bats in his debut. Find out more about Ryan Jeffers in the links below: Twins Select Ryan Jeffers in the Second Round of the 2018 Draft (June 2018)Get to Know Twins New Catcher Ryan Jeffers (June 2018)Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - July 2018 (July 2018)Catching Up with Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2019)Twins Daily 2019 Top Prospects: #13 Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2019)The Twins 2018 Draft Class is Loaded with TalentTwins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #7 Ryan Jeffers (Feb 2020)Twins Announce Non-Roster Spring Training Invites (Feb 2020)Twins Announce 60-Man Player Pool for Summer Camp (June 2020)Episode 18: Get to Know Ryan Jeffers (June 2020) Click here to view the article

Alex Hassan grew up in the Boston area. Following three years at Duke, he was drafted by the Red Sox. Five years later, he made his big league debut with his hometown team. After his playing career ended, Hassan took some time away from baseball, but last offseason, newly-appointed Twins Director of Minor League Operations Jeremy Zoll reached out and offered him an opportunity to be the Twins Assistant Director of Minor League Operations. He accepted and is working with the Twins player development team to help improve the Twins minor league system. Recently, we had the opportunity to chat with the Twins Assistant Director of Minor League Operations. His is an interesting story. It’s fun to learn about and understand his story and how it can help him in his current position. Let’s Get to Know Alex Hassan.Alex Hassan grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was a four-year letter winner in baseball at Boston College High School. He recalls, “I played almost exclusively baseball during high school. I say ‘almost’ because I played one season of basketball my freshman year. Let’s just say I was not nearly as committed to becoming a good basketball player as I was committed to becoming a good baseball player. "I was a good player in high school, and I worked really hard during my four years at Boston College High School to improve and get better as a player. I was fortunate to have a really good coach in high school who invested a lot in my development, Norm Walsh.” “A good player in high school” may have been an understatement. Following his senior season, he was named the Louisville Slugger Massachusetts Player of the Year. In addition, his AAU team won two state championships and his Legion team won a state title too. He had a few options coming out of high school, but he chose to head south and play at Duke. “I had some options coming out of high school, but my final choices came down to Duke, Notre Dame and Boston College. Ultimately, having grown up in Massachusetts where I was relegated to training indoors for a good portion of the year due to the weather, I decided I would attend the best academic school I could get into that was the furthest down South, and that happened to be Duke.“ At Duke, he was able to be a two-way player. As a freshman, he made 11 starts and won two games. Over his final two seasons, he moved to the bullpen. His sophomore season, he went 5-0 with five saves and a 1.30 ERA in 17 appearances. His junior season, he worked in 16 games and went 2-2 with eight saves. He was also a strong hitter in the Blue Devils lineup. He batted in 49 games and hit .262 with 17 extra base hits as a freshman. His sophomore year, he hit .353/.458/.486 (.924) with 17 doubles and four homers. He also stole 14 bases. His junior season, he hit .342/.424/.498 (.922) with 17 doubles, four triples and three homers. Over those final two seasons, he walked 56 times and struck out just 38. “I really enjoyed my time at Duke. I spent three years there from 2007-2009 before being drafted by the Red Sox after my junior year. Similar to high school, I put a lot of time and effort into becoming a better baseball player at Duke. I also made lifelong friends, many of whom were in my wedding.“ Hassan had put together a strong resume in his three years at Duke on the field and in the classroom. He also played well in his time in the Cape Cod League. However, just a few weeks before the draft, he pulled his oblique and didn’t pitch at all as the draft approached. So, he wasn’t sure at all what the draft would bring. “I figured that would hurt my draft stock, as more teams were looking at me as a pitcher than as a position player, but I had no idea by how much.” He did have to wait a while to hear his name, even to start getting calls from teams. “On draft day the first call I received was in the 10th round but the team calling was not willing to offer me the amount of money I was asking for so I told them not to take me-- they ended up passing on me. As the rounds went on, each subsequent call I received from teams were offering less and less money- things were not trending in the direction I was hoping. At a certain point, I decided I would just return to Duke for my senior year.” Certainly there was some disappointment, but then things started picking up again. “In the 20th round a scout from the Cubs called me and told me they were taking me with their next pick, so I was glued to streaming draft feed on my laptop waiting for the Cubs to pick me.” But then a surprise, a pleasant surprise. “In the 2009 draft, the Red Sox were slotted two or three picks before the Cubs, and when it was time for the Red Sox to make their pick in the 20th round, I saw my name pop up. I was completely shocked, but elated at the same time that I had been drafted by the team that I rooted for my whole life growing up.” A dream come true, to be certain, but even then the process took time to develop. Hassan found himself waiting, and wondering. “I ended up not signing right away with the Red Sox and instead went to Cape Cod where I played the field and pitched. By the end of the summer the Red Sox wanted to sign me as a position player and not a pitcher and offered me a contract, which I ultimately signed.” After signing, he played 26 games of rookie league ball and ended with eight games in Low A. In 2010, he spent the season in High-A, though he did spend three games in AAA. In 2011, he spent the full season in AA. He was hurt some in 2012 but played in AAA. He was limited to just 55 games in 2013 at Triple-A. In 2014, he started the season in AAA again. But late in May, he got the call that every ball player dreams of. “We had a night game in late May at home in Pawtucket and I remember it was a fairly uneventful game for me. I showered and went home like I normally would and when I got home I received a call from my manager Kevin Boles telling me that he needed me to come back to the field. When I got back to the stadium I went into his office and he had a big smile on his face and congratulated me and told me I was going to the big leagues and gave me a big hug. Nothing was official until the following day, so I think I only told my now wife and parents. The night before I went to the big leagues, I did not sleep one minute; I was too excited.” On June 1st, he made his major-league debut at Fenway Park. Can you imagine jogging out to your position at the ballpark you frequented as a kid, with family and friends in the stands? “The most memorable moment was running out to right field for the top of the first inning thinking that once the first pitch is thrown, I will officially have made it to the big leagues and there isn’t anything that would ever change that. I was really proud of that accomplishment because of just how difficult the path to getting there was for me.” In the game, he played right field and went 1-for-3 with a walk. But his bigger memory was an interesting, and scary, feeling he had in the field. “The other thing I remember was how bad the sun was shining in my eyes standing in right field the first game that I started. It was a day game and if anyone hit a fly ball in my general direction I was going to have a really hard time picking up its trajectory because the sun was directly in my line of sight. To make matter worse, Jon Lester was on the mound that day, and I found him to be an extremely intimidating person. Very nice guy, but also very intense and intimidating. So, most of the day I was praying that no one hit a fly ball to right field because if they did I was almost certainly not going to catch it. Luckily for me, no one did.” Two days later, he was back in the lineup and went 0-for-4 in Cleveland. He was sent back to the minors. He was called back up in mid-August and got one more at-bat. And that was it for his big-league career. Three games. Nine plate appearances. One hit. But a lifetime of memories and a huge accomplishment. “I was really, and still am, really proud of making it to the big leagues. I was not the most naturally gifted athlete but I put a lot of time and effort into refining my skills over the years. Trying to become a good major league baseball player is an extremely difficult pursuit, and the lessons I learned along that journey are still serving me to this day.” He spent 2015 playing in AAA in the Blue Jays, A’s and Rangers system. In 2016, he spent the season on the AAA roster of the Dodgers, in Oklahoma City. Following that season, he knew it was time. He was ready to retire from playing the game. “The decision to move on was really easy for me as towards the end of my career I could no longer physically perform at a level I would need to in order to give myself a chance to get to the major leagues. Injuries had compounded over the years, and I did not do a good enough job managing those, so by the end of 2016, I was physically ready to move on.” At Duke, Hassan had studied psychology. Upon his retirement, he returned to the school and graduated in 2017. His season in the Dodgers organization allowed him a great networking opportunity, one that eventually led him to his current job with the Twins. “Luckily for me, Jeremy Zoll and Gabe Kapler gave me the opportunity to get some exposure to the player development side of the Dodgers front office while I was finishing school. I traveled out to Glendale during my spring break to get a sense of what working in the front office might look like and also made a few trips to affiliates during my time in school.“ He noted that the timing just wasn’t right for he and his wife to join the Dodgers full -time. They moved back to Boston, and he got a job with Dell Technologies for a little while. He took time away from the game of baseball, something he feels was important for him. “I think getting away from the game for a period of time was good and healthy for me. This time away reinforced to me just how passionate I still was about baseball and how eager I was to continuing to learning and developing in the game.” However, months later, the situation changed. “After about six to eight months, Jeremy reached out to me about his new opportunity with the Twins and gauged my interest in getting back into baseball. Jeremy and I first began talking when I was a AAA player with the Dodgers in 2016 and he was working as the assistant farm director for the Dodgers. I remember asking him a lot of questions when he would come in town in OKC and he was always extremely approachable and willing to talk to me. From day 1 he really blew me away with his baseball and general intelligence. When I had the opportunity to join him with the Twins, my wife and I were in a better situation in our personal lives and we were really excited to make the jump.” He was offered the job as the Twins Assistant Director of Minor League Operations. In the position, he is involved in several aspects of the minor leagues and player development. “I’m responsible for assisting in the oversight of the minor league system. I work with player development leaders- Jeremy Zoll (Farm Director), Edgar Varela (Field Coordinator), and all of minor league coordinators regarding on-field philosophies, training, and special programs that we’re running. Also, I aid the Research and Development department in the implementation of various initiatives and findings with our coaching staff and our players.“ In his role, he will spend spring training in Ft. Myers and throughout the season, he will travel to see each of the Twins seven minor league affiliates multiple times. He recently passed the one-year mark in the job and has found a lot about it enjoyable. “What I’ve enjoyed the most is how much I’m learning about the game of baseball and that I’m in a position where I have the ability to impact people to help them improve and reach their goals.” Alex Hassan reached the big leagues, something the great majority of the minor leaguers haven’t done yet and dream of being able to do. His experiences as a player, good and bad, help him to better understand what the players are dealing with from day to day. Understanding the game helps him understand the players and their struggles. “The thing I would like to bring from my experience as a player to this job is never forgetting just how difficult this game is. Sometimes, the further you get from your playing career the easier the game seems to be. I try to never forget just how challenging this game was for me and how hard I had to work to just be a below average player. I would like to think I bring a great deal of empathy to this job.” When you consider the technology used in the Twins minor leagues, the addition of coaches and coordinators, and new ideas and thinking on development, Twins fans should be excited about the direction of the organization as it relates to player development. “I think Twins fans should feel really good about the direction the player development department is headed. What I’m most proud of is the team that we have built and how we’re collectively working toward a shared purpose of making the players better. As part of that, we’re all collectively striving to improve ourselves, ask the better questions, and not being afraid of what we don’t know. We, and more specifically, Jeremy has fostered a culture of continual improvement and my hope and goal is that a couple years from now we’ll still have the same mentality as we did on Day 1- that we still have so much improvement ahead of us.” Hassan and his wife moved to Minneapolis in August. “So far, we have really loved it. It is quite cold in the winter.” Click here to view the article