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This shortest of phrases makes our hearts soar Pitchers and catchers report We limped through last year but come back for more Pitchers and catchers report 99 losses taught the boys things We yearn for the clean slate a new season brings Like Hornsby we stared out the window for spring Pitchers and catchers report Four tiny words and hope’s candle’s lit Pitchers and catchers report Gardy will make sure they get after it Pitchers and catchers report Smith was relieved and Ryan’s the man He let
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azn05pwnFLQ/TZUrW2YE9RI/AAAAAAAABe0/D-P1hu1nyvk/s320/welcomeback.JPG Do you know what today is? Do you know what's going on today? Of course you do. Today is the day when boys, and men with boys' hearts, gather by the hundreds in places like Clearwater, and Mesa, and Surprise, and Fort Myers, to participate in baseball activities. They're perfecting their changeups, and bunts, and double-plays. They're practicing covering first, and running down flies, and knock
My name is AJ Pettersen. I will be blogging for twinsdaily.com throughout the summer. I grew up in Minnetonka, MN, have been a Twins fan my entire life and am honored to be a part of this organization. That being said, I hope my insight into the life of minor league baseball is both interesting and engaging. While the lives of minor leaguers may be significantly different from others, after the season ends we look for jobs just like anyone else. The only difference is our availability. Finding
Without a doubt, there will be plenty of storylines to monitor during spring training this year. One of the bigger ones that you should keep an eye on in Fort Myers is Francisco Liriano’s fastball. Injuries took him out of the 2011 season but it was clear that the southpaw was not the same pitcher as he was the season before. Between a decrease in velocity, an inability to locate his fastball and regularly falling behind his opponents, Liriano posted a career high in walks (75) and his second-
Our good friends over at Twinkie Town have spent the past couple of months working on their community Top 50 Twins Prospect list. Each day, those who went to their site were able to cast their vote for a player. The player with the most votes gets the spot, and the next day they would vote for the next spot. They started at #1 and worked all the way to #50 and the best part was community discussion each round. I thought it would be fun to compare and contrast my Top 50 Twins Prospect list to t
When the Twins acquired Carl Pavano in August of 2009, his fastball was averaging almost 91 miles per hour and he was striking out 16 percent of the batters he faced. In two seasons since, his velocity has dropped by two miles per hour and his K-rate has descended steadily, to 13 percent in 2010 and 11 percent in 2011. Among qualifying major-league starters, only Brad Penny had a lower K/9 mark last year than Pavano's 4.1. A lack of whiffs isn't necessarily a death knell, especially when
Hitting coach Joe Vavra recently shared some ideas behind what was causing the drought at the plate with the Pioneer Press’s Tom Powers. Plenty of factors played into the team’s offensive ineptitude but for those who did make it to the plate, Vavra felt that the approach was fundamentally lacking: Despite some fans objections to the contrary, Joe Vavra comes off as a smart, intelligent and process-oriented hitting coach. I have personally never had the opportunity to meet with him however in
Don't believe the hype. There might be 66 guys in Twins spring training, but they aren't really competing for roster spots. In fact, there may not be a single roster spot to compete for. How come? Because of "options." Options are a MLB administrative rule that limits how long a team can keep a player on their 40-man roster but not bring them to the big leagues. Basically, they have three years before they need to commit to bringing that player to the majors. For a little more on it, check ou
Since the first season at Target Field in 2010, there’s been a common complaint among hitters: the fences are too far away. We’ve seen and heard of players attempting to pull the ball down the lines because that’s the best way to get the ball out of the park. These pictures of home runs at Target Field confirms this belief (from Hit Tracker Online). http://weareoffthemark.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/target-field-2011.jpg?w=450&h=441 Target Field Home Runs 2011 http://weareo
Each spring fans are entertained by non-news news from the southern camps in Florida relating to how great of shape a player is in, how re-dedicated they are, etc, etc. Early February brings a lot of "I feel great" moments from players who were injured the previous season and, of course, wealthy catcher Joe Mauer is one such player who draws this kind of attention from the media. In January, right around TwinsFest when Mauer made a quick circuit of local appearances, reports spread that the ca
The annual baseball Rule IV baseball draft is less than four months away. And while both the college and high school seasons still have to be played, it’s never too early to start looking ahead at the draft. This draft takes on an added interest if you’re a Twins fan. The team has not drafted higher than 14th overall since taking some guy named Mauer with the top overall pick in 2001. The 2012 draft brings not only the #2 overall pick, but also six total picks in the Top 100. For a franch
Throughout the past few offseasons, the comments I hear most regarding the Twins needs involve the need to acquire an Ace. In fact, I’ve said it a few times myself. Of course, that isn’t completely true and it is never the full story. You see, for the mid-90s, the Twins had not only an Ace, but the best pitcher in baseball, and that didn’t get them to the second round of the playoffs. The 2011 Phillies boasted a starting rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt and didn’t
It’s that time of the year again when Top Prospect Lists come out for teams all across Major League Baseball. Baseball America gives Top 10’s for each team leading up to their Top 100 Prospects, blogs everywhere chime in on their favorite teams, and universally fans complain that their favorite guys aren’t rated higher. A lot of fans seem down on the farm system of the Twins after watching prospect after prospect come up and flounder last year while they tried to fill the gaping holes i
No, I do not think that the Twins should consider a trade to bring back former catcher AJ Pierzynski. I’m talking about whether or not the Twins should consider working on a trade with the Yankees to acquire RHP AJ Burnett. When asked about that idea weeks ago, my immediate response was “No, thank you!” But upon further review, I think it’s a valid question to ask. Burnett has been pretty bad the last two seasons. In 2010, he was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. In 2011, he was 11-11
As many can tell I am not a typical Twins blogger in that my posts are very infrequent. That is because I go to school in Texas and am very busy. I know everybody is busy, but for me my blogging is a hobby that I only do if I have time for it. I will blog more in the summer when I don’t have classes, but I felt the need the need to write my feelings with how everything is going with the Twins right now. As many of you know I was 30 years old when I went back to College and will graduate next
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Hey Brock Could you add. Luis Fragoza to the available prospects for the top 20· 2 replies
