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With LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter and now Michael Cuddyer retiring in the same offseason, baseball will lose three players identified, raised and groomed within the Minnesota Twins’ development system that provided value across multiple teams in the league. Although the members of that trio were drafted, signed and developed in different years, they each shared a lengthy and, with the exception of Hawkins, All- Star caliber careers. And while we know what they all eventually became as players, with the advent of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Diamond Mind collection, an archive of the game’s scouting reports over the years, we rewind and look back on who these players were before they reached the majors. Check out these scouting reports from the former Twins.Unfortunately, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Diamond Mind scouting report collection does not have any reports on Hunter’s amateur days archived but it does have several reports on Hawkins and Cuddyer. Hawkins’ two reports – both from 1995 and both from Chicago White Sox scouts – paints the picture of a talented yet immature pitcher. The first, dated June 1995, followed a Hawkins start while with the Minnesota Twins’ then AAA affiliate, the Salt Lake City Buzz. White Sox scout Ed Pebley was fairly nonplussed by the future major leaguers’ immediate potential, considering his fastball which sat at 88-91 MPH in this particular outing “fringe average” (Hawkins would late hit 94.2 average fastball while with the Astros in 2009). Pebley labeled him a “Chance ML Prospect”, gave his blessing for the Sox to acquire and felt that Hawkins “could work his way into a rotation or be a good middle man for somebody” and that Hawkins would “be worth some kind of value down the road that could help a club out in some role.” Download attachment: Hawkins_Pebly.jpg In 1995 Hawkins entered the season rated as Baseball America’s 30th overall prospect in the game but, like Pebley inferred, Hawkins did experience a sizeable dip in strikeouts once he hit the minor league’s highest level. With a near one-to-one strikeout-to-innings pitched ratio from rookie ball through AA, Hawkins apparently lost some zip on the fastball while attempting to work through some mechanical issues. At six-foot-five with gangly arms, Hawkins battled for years to find a consistent delivery and when he arrived to Salt Lake, the Twins organization worked on fixing his mechanics at the expense of his velocity. In the Pacific Coast League that year, Hawkins finished the season 9-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 22 starts but he would rack up just 74 strikeouts over 144.1 innings. With little pitching available with the parent club that year (the Twins would allow an AL-worst 6.17 runs per game), the Twins gave the 22-year-old six starts to see what the future might hold. READ: LaTroy Hawkins’ All-Time Best Teammates The Twins sent Hawkins to the Arizona Fall League that winter where he would refine his approach. It was with Peoria that the White Sox’s scout Mike Sgobba took in a four-inning outing for Hawkins in November 1995. Unlike Pebley, Sgobba would anoint Hawkins a “[Definite] ML prospect” and that he has the chance to be a “2nd or 3rd starter in ML when he gets in sync”. Like a true scout, Sgobba added that he would “like to be his agent”. Download attachment: Hawkins_Sgobba.jpg Hawkins, of course, would eventually make it as a starter like Pebley and Sgobba projected, just not a successful one: In 98 starts, he amassed a 26-44 record with a rotund 6.11 ERA. Instead, Hawkins’ talent was better suited for the role of a reliever, which he performed admirably over 944 appearances, accumulating 127 saves and owning a 3.32 ERA. His 1,042 games played in rank 10th all time. Unlike Hawkins, the Baseball Hall of Fame only has a scouting report on Michael Cuddyer archived from his high school days. And not just his pre-draft scout report, this report comes from Brad Kohler of MLB’s scouting bureau who was following Cuddyer’s summer season between his sophomore and junior year. While teams often sign 16-year-olds out of Latin America, it still seems rather difficult to try to project what someone will be like physically five or six years later. With American-born players, teams are afforded the luxury of following a prospect around for several more years of maturation before committing them to their pipeline. Still, Kohler’s report provides a glimpse of where Cuddyer stood as a 16-year-old prospect. Download attachment: Cuddyer_Kohler.jpg The teenaged Cuddyer played his summer ball for East VA Commonwealth where Kohler found him to have a “strong, compact” build. Kohler projected Cuddyer to have major league potential and viewed him as a line drive hitter with the possibility of adding major league-type power to his swing. Described as a straight away and opposite field hitter, Cuddyer’s career would eventually make him more of a pull-type but he distributed balls evenly across the field and showed a great deal of straight away power that was muted once the Twins left the Metrodome. Ultimately, Kohler summarized, Cuddyer had the “ability to be [a] front line prospect in 1997” when he was eligible for the draft. READ: Nearing The End Of An Era Much like free-swinging sluggers, scouts miss a lot too. Kohler, for example, was profiled in the Washington Post just a few short months after watching Cuddyer’s performance. In it, Kohler was particularly excited about a player out of Pennsylvania by the name of Justin Hazelton and told all the scouts represented at the showcase and anyone who would listen that this kid could play. The Tigers had a scout near Kohler and, maybe because of Kohler’s influence or possibly because of the scout’s own review, Detroit snapped Hazelton up in the 10th round of the 1996 draft. As it turned out, Hazelton couldn’t play. At least not in the professional ranks. After making it as high as low-A ball, Hazelton* retired with a career line of .187/.309/.267 and three home runs. *After calling it quits, Hazelton would later resurface as the Cardinals’ Matt Adams’ personal offseason hitting instructor -- both hailing from the tiny Pennsylvania town of Phillipsburg (pop 2,770). Hazelton’s story highlights just how difficult it can be to predict a high school player’s future. Cuddyer continued to progress as a prospect while at Great Bridge High School and was eventually drafted by the Twins ninth overall in 1997. Just eight picks later, Cuddyer’s teammate pitcher John Curtice was selected by the Red Sox and the pair became the first high school teammates to be drafted in the first round. Curtice would wash out of baseball at the high-A level but Cuddyer would go on to have a lengthy career which included the development of major league power as Kohler projected (197 career home runs) as well as a batting title in 2013 (.331 average with the Rockies). Here are some other scouting reports on other notable past and present Twins players: Willie Banks: “Reminds me of Bob Gibson….not only will be a high draft pick, but is capable of pitching in the big leagues very quickly becoming an ‘impact player’. Billy Blitzer, Cubs scout Tom Brunansky: “LF arm or 1B. Bat potential and running speed with physical assets. Has signed letter of intent to Stanford University for football. He would prefer baseball. Goin to cost $40,000 or more to buy him out of top school. I pass on him.” Tom Ferrick, Kansas City Royals scout “Would or will be tough sign. Has scholarship to Stanford. Comes from college oriented family. Would go $25,000 but believe his is willing to sign if he gets $60,000 to $75,000. Not worth it.” Joe Stephenson, Boston Red Sox scout Greg Gagne: “I wish he could hit at all…makes all the plays…but right now bat shows no promise.” Larry Monroe, White Sox scout Jacque Jones: “Arm is fringe average as is speed down line but knows how to make best use of both. Swing can get long and needs more patience on breaking ball. Power is fringe…Solid OF who will fit somewhere because of his bat and ability to run down ball. Could live with in but could also play LF. Great fourth OF at worst.” George Bradley, White Sox scout “Trouble with off speed pitches. Must learn to stay back. Has loop in his swing…Comes to play. Can make things happen. Has a chance to hit and with a little pop. Will be able to steal a few bases and play solid defense.” Gary Pallent, White Sox scout Matt LeCroy: “Play will be best suited to play 1B, lacks physical tools to be a catcher…potential to be impact offensive player at ML level with hitting for AVG/HR’s/&RBI’s.” Kevin Burrell, White Sox scout “Built like offensive guard in the NFL. Will have to watch body in the future and won’t have any problem seeing it…Has an outside chance to survive in minor leagues as C, but could only be a back-up at the big-league level.” Doug Laumann, White Sox scout Bobby Kielty: “Similar build to Jeremy Burnitz (Brewers); solid frame with athleticism; exhibits some “raw power” in batting practice; switching hitter that makes contact however has free swinger tendency…Extra OF projections in future.” Phil Rossi, New York Yankees scout Chuck Knoblauch: “Has some correctable fielding mechanics. Arm might be a bit shy from the hole…Plays game much like Dan Gladden or Wally Backman. Intelligence plus desire may allow him to move up quickly.” Marty Esposito, Minnesota Twins scout “Unanimously voted top prospect in the Cape League by scouts. He can do it all. With excellent attitude and is a gamer and a hustler who can beat you in many ways. Loves the game, and his mental approach is excellent. I really like this kid and I’m convinced he will play in the ML someday. Should go in the first.” Donald Labossiere, San Diego Padres scout Dave McCarty: “Has put on the best power display I’ve seen in a long time – hit long and high home runs that no park will hold. Great power” Bill Werle, Indians scout, 1991 “Can drive ball but does not have power-type swing.” John Cox, Orioles scout, 1995 Doug Mientkiewicz: “Very slow and does not show defensive tools…Arm is short as is range, hands are adequate. Does not move well around [first base] bag…Saw enough to make a believer out of me with the bat and has really improved home run stroke. Would move back to catching where he was in HS and see if arm would be better would take a chance on LH bat who might catch or be utility.” George Bradley, White Sox scout “Bat makes him a fringe prospect. Possible fill-in type guy at the corners. Left-hand bat off of bench. Also has caught some in past. Turned down good money from Blue Jays out of high school. Probably not signable for worth. Bill Meyer, White Sox scout Joe Mauer: “Future ML All-Star behind the plate… Advanced hitting approach for younger player. Stays inside the ball very well…Hits most balls from center to left field line. Rarely pulls, but feel that will be the next step-has the ability now to hit some pull HRs, but seldom strays from current approach…Chance to jump to AA next year, but only 19.” Jim Pransky, Oakland A’s scout Joe Nathan: “Has slight nervous twitch in face and head which is noticeable.” John Tumminia, White Sox scout Carl Pavano: “Not well proportioned pitchers body. Gained 15-20 LBS this winter. Needs Weight Watchers program. Not signable this round with LSU scholarship.” John Tumminia, White Sox scout Glen Perkins: “Weight is something that he might want to watch in future…Team’s #1 – will be Friday guy in Big 10 conference…poised lefty with workman-like approach…FB is best pitch and knows how to use it both sides of the plate…Our kind of guy.” Jim Pransky, Oakland A’s scout AJ Pierzynski: “Sunken chested and could use upper-body development…Poor speed but doesn’t stop being aggressive…Aggressive in everything he does. Intense. Has a ML ego and some showmanship. Getting a lot of attention and ESPN filmed a special on him today. Very young – not 18 until December – and fame maybe taking a toll.” George Bradley, White Sox scout Mark Redman: “I see him having the type of career and being the type of pitcher that Charlie Leibrandt was.” Doug Laumann, Kansas City Royals scout Roy Smalley: “Is Gene Mauch’s nephew. No question about his arm or fielding – his bat is what keeps him from getting the kind of money he thinks he should get. Would if possible draft him and see what would happen.” Joe Stephenson, Boston Red Sox scout Shannon Stewart: “Gave him a 2 arm because he has two arms.” Ed Creech, Pirates scout Jim Thome: “Plays a good college SS [at Illinois Central College], but lacks the range and quickness this position requires at the pro-ball level. I believe he would be a solid [defensive third baseman], because he has good hands, handles the slow roller well, has two step lateral movement for 3B and may have a plus arm from there. Will hit for average and supply the power this position requires.” Tony Levoto, Kansas City Royals scout Click here to view the article