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Blog Entries posted by Twins Fan From Afar

  1. Twins Fan From Afar
    What a strange season. I didn't think the Twins would be playing decent baseball as the calendar switched to July. I didn't think that Byron Buxton would be up, after his essentially lost 2014 season. I didn't think Trevor May would be (as of late) the team's most dominant starting pitcher. And I sure didn't think this proverbial ragtag bunch of misfits would -- if the season ended today -- be a wild card playoff team.
     
    I thought 2015 would be the season where players like Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, Kennys Vargas, May, Danny Santana, and Alex Meyer would get extended opportunities to figure it out by playing games that, after May or June, really didn't matter. You know -- let them take the Rochester shuttle, figure out the league, and hopefully come back ready to contribute in 2016, when players like Buxton, Miguel Sano and Jose Berrios were ready to join the team.
     
    But here we are. As it turns out, games in July will matter. It will matter this season whether Trevor May can be the reliable starter we want him to be; it will matter whether Kennys Vargas can hit consistently enough to stay in the lineup and contribute to a winning team. I don't think this team can keep this pace for the rest of the season, but they don't have to, in order for things to get interesting. The trade deadline is just over 5 weeks away, and if the Twins somehow stay within a few games of that last wild card spot, I really wonder what will happen.
     
    The decent play and the current standings put the front office in a potentially interesting position. After 4 awful, awful seasons, the organization can hardly sit idly by if the team has another good few weeks and stays in the hunt. There are places for improvement -- bullpen, shortstop, designated hitter. But there are also guys the Twins drafted, developed, and have shown patience with, that deserve opportunities to succeed, fail, and learn in those positions. Isn't that, after all, a major component of a rebuild?
     
    Sure, the best DH on the trade market makes the Twins better for the next 3 months, but that person does not make the Twins a World Series contender, or, perhaps, even likely to win the AL Central. And while that guy gets the at-bats, Vargas, and even Miguel Sano (who should be up relatively soon) sit and gather dust -- or at the very least, don't improve.
     
    Last season especially, I loved to criticize Terry Ryan. It was easy. Low-hanging fruit sometimes. And Gardy. But I'm honestly not sure what buttons Terry Ryan should press this July if the team keeps hovering near the wild card, and I'm not sure how much Paul Molitor should press Ryan. I firmly believe that the organization owes -- yes, owes -- the fans something after the last 4 miserable seasons, and after ownership admitted not pushing enough in "the good years." But this is certainly not the year to go all-in -- to trade good or great prospects for a rental player, no matter how good that player is. For better or worse, we all -- fans and organization -- are way too far into this rebuild to scrap important segments of it for an unrealistic pennant chase.
     
    Perhaps the best-case scenario is that, over the next month, the Twins slowly but steadily fall out of the wild card race. 2015 will still be a vast improvement over 2011-2014, and the rookies can get valuable, (relatively) low-stress experience. But that isn't very satisfying, is it? I want this team to keep it up. For the love of God, I want Mike Pelfrey to be the best pitcher in the American League, and I want Alex Meyer to come out of nowhere and become a great set-up man. I guess I want this raw, strange team to force Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor to get creative. Find out a way (not just Alex Meyer and Miguel Sano) to improve this team without sacrificing the future. Potentially a tough task, but it would be nice to have confidence in the front office once again.
  2. Twins Fan From Afar
    2014
    Kevin Correia. 23 starts. 4.94 ERA.
    Johan Pino. 11 starts. 5.07 ERA.
    Sam Deduno. 8 starts. 4.6 ERA.
    Anthony Swarzak. 4 starts. 4.6 ERA.
    Logan Darnell. 4 starts. 7.13 ERA.
    Mike Pelfrey. 5 starts. 7.99 ERA.
    Tommy Milone. 5 starts. 7.03 ERA.
    Kris Johnson. 3 starts. 4.73 ERA.
     
    2013
    Mike Pelfrey. 29 starts. 5.19 ERA.
    Scott Diamond. 24 starts. 5.43 ERA.
    Pedro Hernandez. 12 starts. 6.83 ERA.
    Liam Hendriks. 8 starts. 6.85 ERA.
    PJ Walters. 8 starts. 5.95 ERA.
    Cole De Vries. 2 starts. 10.80 ERA.
     
    2012
    Nick Blackburn. 19 starts. 7.39 ERA.
    Liam Hendriks. 16 starts. 5.59 ERA.
    Anthony Swarzak. 5 starts. 5.03 ERA.
    Carl Pavano. 11 starts. 6.00 ERA.
    PJ Walters. 12 starts. 5.69 ERA.
    Jason Marquis. 7 starts. 8.47 ERA.
    Esmerling Vasquez. 6 starts. 5.68 ERA.
     
    Ron Gardenhire took the fall yesterday for 4 seasons of disgusting baseball. That decision was correct. Baseball is a business. And lately, business hasn't been good for the Twins. After the press conference, I was left thinking, "well, that was pretty good as far as those things go. Very Minnesotan, really. But why the hell does Terry Ryan still have a job?" And it's still bothering me today.
     
    As Gardy and Ryan both noted, the reason the manager got canned is because the team didn't win enough games. For sure, Gardy was a contributor to that. Guys were played out of position, he refuses to platoon players, the Twins are among the least likely teams to shift defensively, he uses his closer in a very limited, sometimes non-sensical role, and I have huge concerns about his ability to handle player injuries. Those are just a few things, though. Sure, maybe those decisions cost the Twins 3, 4, 5 games a year. Maybe more. Maybe less. Tough to tell. But the point is, a manager's role in the playing of the game itself is limited.
     
    I keep going back to Terry Ryan. Gardy's job was not to set the roster; it was to play the players on the roster. A "field manager." Take a look at the motley crew of pitchers, games started, and ERAs that I listed above (note: for guys that both started and relieved, I just used their combined ERA -- but you get the picture; note also, I didn't include guys like Trevor May or Ricky Nolasco, who were bad this season but should improve -- there's a difference between a prospect like May learning the big leagues, or a veteran like Nolasco having a career-awful year, and Cole De Vries.). For 2012, that list accounts for 76/162 starts; for 2013 it was 83 starts; and for 2014 it was 63 starts. Those are huge chunks of the season where the Twins were trotting out starting pitchers (sometimes relievers masked as starters) who gave the team little chance to win. That failure is not on Ron Gardenhire. There's no way that Gardy said, after a bunch of awful starts, "Terry, I just know Jason Marquis is gonna turn the corner. Give him more time." Or, "Pedro Hernandez -- I need that guy starting right now!" Are you kidding?!?! I'm sure Gardy lost tons of sleep over his team's pathetic starting pitching, which, incidentally, continually wore down what may have been decent bullpens. Yes, Gardy defends his players publicly, but what manager wouldn't want great starting pitching? What manager wouldn't beg his general manager for help as his team gets shelled every night?
     
    I know what you're thinking: I've completely forgotten the part of the narrative where Bill Smith ruined the organization and Terry Ryan is rebuilding it, and where Ryan is one of the best baseball minds out there. But if there's one thing Ryan can be faulted for, it's failing to draft/develop/acquire better-than-average starting pitching -- and this goes back quite some time, long before Bill Smith. A team can either draft, trade for (other otherwise acquire through the Rule 5 draft, for instance), or sign players as free agents. The Twins have always needed better starting pitching. For the love of God, Brian Duensing started playoff games! Ryan, by and large, has failed to get his manager good pitching. The team, understandably, is reluctant to part with prospects, the best prospects are just now beginning to get to the majors (note that the Twins did not draft May or Alex Meyer), and it wasn't until last off-season that Ryan went out on the free agent market to spend real money. Too little. Too late. For Gardy, at least.
     
    Look again at that list. 76 starts. 83 starts. 63 starts. Just for fun, imagine that, in just 20 of those starts each year, the Twins had a starting pitcher who could go 6 innings and give you a 3.5 or 4.0 ERA. I'm not even talking about a superstar. Just a better-than-average pitcher. Might the Twins win half those games? Perhaps. Imagine what another 10 wins would have made you think about the Twins' 2014 season. 80 wins and 82 losses sounds a hell of a lot better than 70-92.
     
    In the end, Gardy had to go. He was past his prime, the Twins have a bunch of young guys coming up, and sometimes change for the sake of change is reason enough. But I can't get over the feeling that Ryan somehow is coming off unscathed in this mess, as if he has lifetime tenure, when in reality the Twins' record is as much a reflection on him as it is on Gardy.
  3. Twins Fan From Afar
    You've probably heard the news by now that the Twins are out, and the Colorado Rockies are in, as New Britain's class AA affiliate. It's been a strange few months here in Connecticut on the baseball and political fronts, culminating with yesterday's news.
     
    Back in June, Rock Cats managing partner Josh Solomon triumphantly (and surprisingly) announced from the steps of Hartford City Hall that the Rock Cats would be moving from their longtime home of New Britain to a brand new stadium in Hartford, effective for the 2016 season. That announcement shocked many, including the entire New Britain community, who apparently had been left in the dark and were at no point appraised of the fact that the new Rock Cats owners were negotiating with other parties with the goal of leaving Hardware City. I'll be honest -- I would go so far as to call Solomon's behavior arrogant. But the plans for the stadium were nice, and if you accept the fact that the team's owners were going to leave Connecticut for another city if they could not get a deal in Hartford (I don't), well, then I guess it's better to keep AA baseball in Connecticut than to let it go. When Solomon made this announcement, he indicated on the radio that the Twins were aware of and supported the move, though they had no part in the negotiations. My, how things changed in 3 months.
     
    The new stadium deal, however, has become a disastrous headache, and was not, as Hartford's mayor stated during that initial press conference, a "done deal." Hartford, like many other cities, doesn't have much money to spare. So when news broke that the city of Hartford would be financing part of the stadium through about $60 million in bonds, many bristled at that idea. Solomon and Hartford's mayor had a lot of explaining to do -- not just for the financing of the stadium, but for their purported secret negotiations to get out of New Britain. Here's a good read on that subject.
     
    Now, we're at the end of September, and there still is no stadium deal in Hartford. After a request for proposal process, the mayor's office reviewed 3 different stadium plans, and selected 1 plan to forward to Hartford's city council. That plan is interesting in that it includes much more than just a ballpark. Specifically, a brewery (with brewpub and outdoor patio), a grocery store, and commercial and residential development are all part of this comprehensive plan. The financing is very complicated, so I'll condense it to one sentence: the city of Hartford still will be paying millions of dollars to partially finance this project -- it just is not bonding the money. In fact, when all is said and done, it could be just as expensive as that initial $60 million figure that was floated under the original proposal. The new proposal has not yet been fully vetted by the council, and I have no indication that it will be approved any time in the near future.
     
    So where does that leave the Twins? Well, you know by know that it left them in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A minor league player development contract (PDC) is for a minimum of 2 years. 2015 is the last season under the Rock Cats' lease with the city of New Britain (the city owns the ballpark), but 2016 is, as you get by now, uncertain. I'm not sure how the Twins could have signed a 2 year deal for a facility that hasn't been built, and the details of which haven't even been agreed upon. I can hardly blame the Twins for exercising some caution. As you can read here, the Twins also reportedly had concerns about the quality of the playing field in New Britain (not the first time I had heard that) and the team's travel schedule. The Colorado Rockies, however, were apparently happy to come to Connecticut.
     
    So where does his leave the Rock Cats? Well, they're lucky to have a team. There's no real penalty possible -- if no one voluntarily affiliated with them, baseball would have assigned them a team. But I think Colorado could be a good fit. They're similar organizationally to the Twins, and of course we'll get to see Justin Morneau or Michael Cuddyer on a rehab assignment next season (hopefully not, actually). But here's my sneaking suspicion, which I have long harbored: the Rock Cats' owners eventually want a local team. The New York Mets' affiliation in Binghamton is up after the 2016 season. If that doesn't get renewed, I look for the Rock Cats to team up with the Mets. It makes tons of sense. Perhaps that's why the Rock Cats-Rockies deal is only 2 years.
     
    Most importantly, where does this leave me? First, a little disappointed. The Rock Cats were a great tie to Minnesota for me. The Rock Cats were my niche. The Rock Cats were my hobby. The Rock Cats grew to comprise probably 75% of this blog at times. I'm especially bummed I won't get to see Buxton, Sano (again), and several others come up next season. But, as you know, I've had a tough time writing on the team this past season. Between work and life, I couldn't get out to the ballpark nearly as much as I wanted to. I'll still go to Rock Cats games now and then. I'll be excited if they open a new stadium in Hartford. But that's about it. As of today, I think I'll still cover the Chattanooga Lookouts "from afar" to the best of my ability. We'll see what I can come up with.
  4. Twins Fan From Afar
    Last season, I'm sure you remember the Twins' ill-fated attempt to charge a select group of fans to watch the Twins take batting practice at home games. To be fair, fans currently don't get to watch the Twins take BP at Target Field, and several teams have a similar program in place, so this idea was not at all unfounded. But the reaction was crazy. People railed against the team such that, only a few hours after the team released the announcement, it was retracted. I didn't blog about this at the time, because it was covered everywhere. But to me, this was an example of really poor timing -- not a poor idea. The team was bad and fielding rather pathetic lineups. The idea that fans would pay extra to watch players like Wilkin Ramirez or Pedro Florimon take BP -- players that would be in AAA on a good team -- suggested to me that the organization was out of touch with a large portion of its fan base.
     
    Yesterday, as I'm sure you've heard by now, the Twins released a "brand" survey to some fans, which included the question "[c]urrently, which one brand is the most similar to the Twins brand?" The answer choices were all automobiles: Taurus; Volvo; Mustang; Ford pick-up; Cadillac Escape; BMW; Mercedes; Mini Van; Dodge Viper; Prius Hybrid. Accompanying the car names were descriptors such as "fast and sporty," "quality and luxury," and "efficient and forward-thinking." Of course, none of these automobiles, and none of these descriptors, match the Twins. Maybe mini van comes the closest, but perhaps a more accurate descriptor for the current Twins brand -- "cruising" toward its 4th consecutive 90-loss season -- would be "my '97 Honda Civic after the CD player was stolen and there was a big hole so you could see almost into the engine."
     
    Not surprisingly, this question became a laughingstock. How bad did it get? Keith Olbermann named the Twins' marketing department as his nightly "World's Worst." On national television.
     
    Fast-forward nearly 24 hours later, and the Twins have yet to say anything publicly about this. Nothing on Twitter from the team, President Dave St. Peter or Mike Kennedy (Twins PR). Do they need to apologize? Of course not. It was a stupid little marketing brand question that went viral, and that seems to happen frequently these days as businesses realize the importance of social/digital marketing and venture into previously uncharted territory. But it did suggest that, perhaps, the organization hasn't learned much in the past year. If the front office really thinks that the Twins are anything like a BMW, or are "urban and street-wise" (how can that even translate into athletics???), or any of those other vehicles or descriptors, the front office is still very much out of touch with what is apparent to everyone else.
     
    Social media and digital marketing failures happen all the time. And people get past them. But this is still an embarrassment for the Twins who, in my opinion, are usually pretty good with their ads and marketing stuff. To do nothing for 24 hours, especially after you've been taken down on national television, is just stupid. So what do I suggest? Think like a minor league team would. Do something outside the box. Just. Do. Something. I'm not just going to sit here and make fun of the team without suggesting alternatives. So here are 2 awful ideas.
     
    1) Really own this failure and give away a mini van at the last home game of the season. Or donate one to one of the many deserving MN nonprofits. It can be from Mauer Chevrolet. 2) Have a Keith Olbermann day at the ballpark. Invite him to throw out the first pitch. Or ban him from the ballpark for life. Whatever. Free or discounted tickets to people with the legal name "Keith" or "Olbermann." If your birth name is "Keith Olbermann," you get Champions Club seats.
     
    Now, I'm an attorney, and I rarely get involved on the creative side at my job. You can see why. But at least these ideas are something. It's better than silence. At the very least, Dave St. Peter should get on twitter (where he is very accessible and patient with fans), and say something funny to Olbermann. Maybe take him down a peg?? Again -- something. Like the batting practice thing, this will go away in a few days. But the team: a) demonstrated once again that it's out of touch with reality; and missed an opportunity to turn an embarrassing negative into something positive, or at least a little funny.
  6. Twins Fan From Afar
    If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know that something clicked -- something changed -- last night. The most thorough and comprehensive Twins beat writer, Mike Berardino, tweeted a series of quotes from Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire on player injuries. And it set me off. In fact, it might be fair to say that I freaked out. I tweeted a bunch of things, but decided to wait a full 24 hours to write comprehensively on this.
    In that interim period, Mike published Gardy's full quotes. That's good and fair. Anyone can look really smart, or really stupid, in 140 characters. And I know that Gardy isn't stupid. He's been a ... good baseball manager on some very good teams. In fact, he did a very good job some years. I've never disliked the guy personally, but based solely -- yes, solely -- on his comments regarding pitcher injuries yesterday, he's gotta go.
    I have to qualify what follows with a bunch of important factors. Please read these, because they are really important:
    1) It is the player's responsibility to report injuries. There's no way trainers/coaches/manger can intuit that, absent glaring injuries that are visually apparent.
    2) A manager does not have the time for or need a line of guys complaining every day about routine soreness. It's a long season and that's the way it works. Guys have to play through general soreness/routine injuries. They're premiere, professional athletes, and get paid as if they only will have a short career. Tough luck.
    3) A team cannot control whether a player lies or covers for an injury. That team can observe and inquire, repeatedly, but that's about it until a medical exam is ordered.
    4) This isn't about winning and losing, really. Firing Gardy won't cost this team wins or losses this year or next. And even if it does, the 2014 Twins were -- at best and fully healthy -- a .500 team. Few call Gardy a great "in-game" manager (like Joe Maddon is generally considered to be), but he's been dealt awful teams from 2011-now. Remember when Chris Parmelee played center field? Oh yea, that was last week. And it happened multiple times. Chris. Parmelee.
    But here's where it gets serious:
    5) Soreness/injuries to starting pitchers are no joke, and Tommy John surgeries are taking place in record numbers.
    6) The Twins have had their fair share -- probably more -- of Tommy John victims. It costs a season of activity, and really more than that, because very few guys come back ready to go. Many never return to their former ability. Jeez, it even affects non-pitchers like Miguel Sano. It's an epidemic right now.
    7) The Twins have had the among the worst pitching rotations in baseball much of 2011, 2012, and 2013. And although the 2014 rotation has been bolstered by good half-seasons from Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson, and a decent performance from Kevin Correia, this is far from an "elite" starting corps.
    8) Great starting pitching costs tons of money on the open market. For a true "ace," $20-30 million per season. Good starting pitching is in the double millions of digits. It's a hot commodity -- and I can see why: the teams that go far in the playoffs have 3, and sometimes 4, very good pitchers.
    Now, let's get to the issue at hand. To begin, Ricky Nolasco has been awful this season. One of the worst starting pitchers in baseball. He's not missing bats, and he's given up the most hits in baseball. Why the hell would the Twins sign that guy to a 4 year, $49 million contract? Simple -- because he had been a good pitcher, and he was about to move to a pitchers' park. But he's not good now, and he struggled most of the season. That's not Gardy's fault. Nor is it his fault that Nolasco did not come forward timely with that injury information. But here's the exchange between Mike Berardino and Gardy that put me over the top:
    Mike: "At this point I asked a follow-up about whether Gardenhire wants his pitchers to inform him and team trainers when they are dealing with something health-wise."
    Gardy: "If every pitcher told me every day when they were feeling something, they would all be lined up out that door. You understand? Guys pitch with it. We play every day. You can’t just say, ‘Well, he was sore. How did you not know that then?’ Shoot, I don’t know what they do. I don’t know when they go to the bathroom. I don’t know anything about them out there. Other than if they walk in here or the trainer walks in here and they say, `I can’t play.’"
    This is where I lose it (not the part where he doesn't know when pitchers go to the bathroom). The part where the Twins' manager indicated that he (as Mike himself paraphrased), didn't want to be notified about injuries until they reached a certain level.
    More precisely, there's something in-between a pitcher "feeling something" and a pitcher saying "I can't play." A big something. A something that a manger needs to be aware of firsthand.
    In this instance with Nolasco, thankfully, it appears that his injury is not significant -- nothing that should require surgery. But Nolasco's fortunate medical outcome has no bearing on the larger point.
    Here's where the rubber hits the road for me: if I'm a manger at any level of professional baseball, I need to know about my starting pitchers that are experiencing pain when they throw. It doesn't matter if it's mild discomfort or serious elbow pain. Anything more than "normal-in-between-starts-midseason pain" needs to be reported to me all season long, on a daily basis, even if it's a nuisance at times. In fact, I'll go a step further. If I'm Gardy, I want that same information on top prospects like Alex Meyer and Trevor May, guys who should be pitching at Target Field this August.
    The fact that Gardy has the same attitude with respect to position player soreness as he does with pitching injuries is inexcusable in 2014. If we've learned anything, it's that pitchers generally shouldn't pitch through more than "normal" discomfort. Newsflash -- it always ends bad! And if -- and I mean "if," because no one reading this article knows firsthand -- there is a culture in the Twins' clubhouse promoting this attitude of pitchers throwing with more-than-normal discomfort, that also is inexcusable in 2014. So the problem isn't just player-related (that the athlete may not want to disclose an injury), it's also that the manager apparently is not receptive to hearing this news unless it reaches a certain level of severity. The "player" issue cannot be fixed overnight. The manager issue can. And the "manager issue" may very well be related to the "player issue" in this organization.
    I'm not accusing Gardy of causing past or present pitching injuries. I'm not accusing him of being insensitive to injuries -- to his credit, he protected guys like Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer concerning their concussion issues (a relatively recent epidemic that some still don't understand the severity of) -- and I'm not accusing him of being an awful manager. I'm saying that it's 2014, we know more, and the Twins need better. If I was Terry Ryan, I wouldn't fire Gardy now. This team is going nowhere. And this will just set up a new manager to go 25-45 down the stretch. I would, however, terminate Gardy's contract following this season and let a new manager (Paul Molitor, someone else) take over fresh starting immediately after the World Series.
  13. Twins Fan From Afar
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-056cy5Z-OeM/UuGpH01MrdI/AAAAAAAAAto/__6b6ORgXW4/s1600/BlogTalkRadio.jpg

    [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar]
     
    I've only done a few podcasts in the couple years that I've had this blog, but it's a lot of fun to do. Last night, Travis Aune, keeper of Texas Twins Fan, was nice enough to invite me on his weekly podcast. We talked for almost an hour. You definitely have to listen to it, but topics ranged from the Yankees' signing of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, to Twins' free agent signings, and a whole bunch of Rock Cats stuff. Check it out here:
    Minnesota Sports Weekly 01/22 by The Odd Couple Talk Twins0 | Baseball Podcasts
    One nice thing about doing this podcast was that it really got me thinking about the 2014 Rock Cats roster. I did an hour or so of prep work before (so I would sound like less of an idiot), and I have to say, I'm excited about this upcoming New Britain team. Yes, some of these predictions are more guesses than they are reasoned projections, but here's a short list of guys that are likely to see time in New Britain this coming season: Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas, Danny Santana, Eddie Rosario, Levi Michael, B.J. Hermsen, D.J. Baxendale, Daniel Ortiz, Matthew Koch, Matt Summers, Ryan O'Rourke, Taylor Rogers, and here's one more -- Alex Wimmers. It's an impressive list of guys that should see some time in central Connecticut, either all or part of this season.
     
    I'll leave you with one more item (I mentioned it on twitter today): It's possible (perhaps not probable) that the first 4 hitters on New Britain's Opening Day lineup could be Byron Buxton, Danny Santana, Miguel Sano, and Kennys Vargas. Imagine for just a second if Eddie Rosario was active!
    If you're a Twins or Rock Cats fan (well, you probably are since you've read this far), make sure you give Travis and I a listen tonight, tomorrow, or over the weekend as you go about your chores. Spring is right around the corner!
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container]


    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdsudhSIQps/UuGp9CRH9HI/AAAAAAAAAtw/YbzEX39NOmg/s1600/Snow.jpg

    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]There's snow on the ground now in New Britain, but Opening Day is just over 2 months away.
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
  15. Twins Fan From Afar
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container]

    [TD=align: center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrCWeA0w4zI/UfVE3grm5YI/AAAAAAAAAo0/M4gR9VTUYqk/s320/Sano+Bocaton.jpg[/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]"Bocaton" is Miguel Sano's nickname.
    It means "Big Mouth."
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar]
     
    The biggest Twins story this past week hasn't been the team's resurgence toward respectability with a few series wins, or the impending trade deadline that will likely ship out fan-favorite Justin Morneau. No, to be sure, the focal point of discussion has been out here in New Britain, Connecticut, where Miguel Sano has been benched since a Tuesday night home run that undoubtedly left Terry Ryan (in attendance), manager Jeff Smith, opposing pitcher (and up until this June a Rock Cat himself) Bobby Lanigan, and others less than thrilled. If by chance you haven't seen the home run,
    to the video.There are at least a couple schools of thought being played out in the media, and by fans right now. It's more complicated than two schools, but I'll distill it here for the sake of brevity. One school suggests that the Twins were correct to bench Sano for this display. They believe that the benching isn't an attempt to take away Sano's fire and attitude, but rather to instill in him the "correct" way to play the game. They also note that the benching didn't have as much to do with the homer as it did Sano's reactions to Ryan and Smith when questioned after the game.
    The second school suggests that the Twins are trying to take away the lively and fiery personality of one of their best hitting prospects, and a guy that could help turn around this franchise as early as next season. "They're going to tell him to start hitting to opposite field," this crowd might say, in reference to what the Twins suggested to (then struggling hitter) David Ortiz.
    As usual, I think the truth is somewhere in-between. I've seen 3 of 4 of Sano's AA home runs in person. A couple facts: he never runs fast around the bases, and he may linger at home plate for a second or two if he knows the ball isn't coming back. That being said, I've never seen him stand at home plate for 5-6 seconds, then take almost 30 seconds to round the bases. For some good background on this particular home run, and Sano's prior dealings with pitcher Bobby Lanigan, please, please read Pat Reusse's column here. Just like with most things in life, there's more than meets the eye in connection with this at-bat.
    More important than Reusse's rendition of Lanigan's and Sano's past conflicts, however, is Reusse's call to action to the Twins to hire a coach from Latin America, pronto. To give credit where credit is due, Reusse is not the first person to point this out. I know, among others, that Thrylos at The Tenth Inning Stretch has been clamoring for the Twins to do exactly this for at least a few seasons. And right now, that suggestion really makes sense.
    No, hiring a native-Spanish speaker (hopefully a younger, ex-MLB player) is not a cure-all. But there is something to be said for the fact that Oswaldo Arcia, Eddie Rosario, and Sano -- three players most recently disciplined by the Twins -- are playing on teams that lack a coach/mentor/leader that shares cultural characteristics. The Twins should be lauded for getting Arcia, Rosario and Sano. All 3 could be All-Star caliber players, and the Twins spent millions to get them. But something is being lost in translation, and I'm not sure what the fix is.
    I watched, and loved, Ballplayer Pelotero, the documentary featuring Sano. I can't pretend to understand the struggle of these Latin American ballplayers. Yes, they often are given between several hundred thousand and several million dollars to sign, but that happens at age 16. And at least in Sano's case, it's been stated that he is not in control of that money, and that much of the money has been spent in real estate in his native Dominican Republic. These kids go from poor to somewhat wealthy; from living in the Dominican Republic or a similar country to living in Ft. Myers or Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and from being big-shots in their hometown to being cogs in a large, large wheel. The point here isn't to suggest that we need to feel sympathy for Sano et al., but rather that we, as fans, have no idea the pressures they face, and whether they are at all equipped to face such pressures.
    I think Reusse's piece was spot-on. Trading aging veterans, continuing to sign top prospects, and allowing rookies to learn from their mistakes will make the Twins better in the long-run. Hiring multiple native Spanish speaking coaches at multiple levels of the system (assuming they're otherwise qualified, of course), will help this organization immediately. I can't suggest that this is a cure-all, but I can suggest that something is absolutely getting lost in translation. Would a native-Spanish speaking coach have prevented Sano's display? Probably not. But might that coach been able to have diffuse the situation (keeping in mind that Sano's English is improving but is not at all good) before too much damage was done? Perhaps.
    A couple final points:
     

    I expect Sano to be back in the lineup either today or when New Britain comes home tomorrow. The team has been drawing well at home, but is not selling out mid-week games. Sano puts people in seats, and fans want to see him the last month of the season.
    Sano is not a jerk. I've read on TwinsDaily, and a few other comment boards, where people are saying that they don't care what his personality is, so long as he gets the job done. There's some merit to that: the vast majority of Twins players are very nice and personable, and some (many over the past few seasons) simply don't get the job done. I want Sano to succeed on the ballfield more than I want him to be considered a logical replacement host for Michael Strahan when he retires from his gig with Kelly Ripa. But these aren't mutually exclusive. From my brief encounters with Sano, he is a nice guy. I see him supporting teammates, yelling "let's go," -- and meaning it -- as he trots from third base back to the dugout when the team was down by 5 runs late in a game. I see him signing for kids before games, and tossing balls into the stands as he jogs back into the dugout. Sure, part of this very well might be a display, but by no means have I seen him be rude or discourteous to paying customers or reporters.
    Finally, HE IS 20 YEARS OLD. What kind of dumb stuff did you do when you were 20? Did you think that you knew a lot? I did. Did you think that money grew on trees when you got a big paycheck from that summer job? I did. The Rock Cats (through the Twins) are trying to make Sano mature a little faster than he is ready for. Why? Because next year at this time they fully expect he's going to be manning third base for the Twins. He's going to be on ESPN. He'll have sponsorship deals. He's going to be in the public eye of the nation, not just Twins Territory and Central Connecticut. Videos of his dumb displays won't be grainy and on YouTube; they'll be on SportsCenter for the world to see.

  16. Twins Fan From Afar
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    [TD=align: center]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfGvYWNUy-U/Uiadg78Eu1I/AAAAAAAAAq4/5S1qwvRBrms/s400/Pinto.jpg[/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Rock Cats, Red Wings, and now Twins catcher,
    Josmil Pinto
     
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    I'll be the first to admit that the bulk of my Rock Cats coverage this season has centered around Miguel Sano. And it's for a reason -- he's the best prospect that has played for New Britain since I have been following the team. People were interested in watching grainy videos of his #PowerBanana shots, and were curious about his defensive progression. Also, he's simply an electric personality. Trust me, you'll experience it firsthand in Minnesota next season. But there was much more to this team than Sano. And in my opinion, Sano wasn't the team's most valuable player, even in the months he was here. That honor belongs to Josmil Pinto.
    What a 6 months it's been for Josmil Pinto. He started in April as the Rockcats' everyday catcher, and produced offensively and defensively. In fact, he hit .308/.411/.482. Watching him in person several games, it wasn't just his line drive swing that impressed me. He is a decent catcher with a very good arm. He was promoted on August 1 to AAA Rochester. That alone is a significant accomplishment. But Pinto didn't slow down. He continued to excel as a Red Wing, hitting .314/.333/.486, and is now a member of the Twins. He'll see significant playing time behind the dish, I expect, as the Twins would be wise to exercise caution with Joe Mauer.
    The Twins gave Pinto at least 2 major votes of confidence: first, giving him 2 in-season promotions; and second -- and just as important -- trading Drew Butera at the deadline. These moves suggest that, between Chris Herrmann and Pinto, the Twins' back-up catching spots are covered.
    To be sure, many guys offered great contributions this season in New Britain. Miguel Sano, Danny Santana, Trevor May, Michael Tonkin, Daniel Ortiz, Alex Meyer (pre-injury), and Nate Hanson (played all over the field very well) all come to mind. But none of these guys was as valuable on both sides of the ball, and was as consistent, as Pinto. He hit over .300, had a good K-to-walk ratio, showed good power, and continued to improve on defense. Yes, he still has a ways to go on the defensive front, but it won't stop him from being able to contribute to the Twins this September and next season. And in my opinion, the fact that he left the Rock Cats the last few weeks (give or take) of the season wasn't significant enough for another of the guys previously listed to trump his place.
    Being completely honest, my decision is swayed in part by Joe Mauer's concussion. The concept of "most valuable" is subjective. I happen to see more "value" in places where it's needed. A prospect's value isn't tied solely to his current team so much as it is to the organization as a whole. In the Twins' present situation, we might see more value in prospects at shortstop, third base, starting pitching (ouch) and catcher, especially considering Mauer's advancing age and the recent concussion. In short, Herrmann and Pinto will need to step up. If not in 2014, then in 2015. The fact that Pinto has taken major strides this season, while Herrmann had, for the most part, a rough go of it, reinforces that Pinto is going to get the shot to prove himself at the major league level.
    Congratulations, Josmil Pinto, on one hell of a season.
  17. Twins Fan From Afar
    Today was the first full day in Twins Territory without Justin Morneau. Although most people weren't too surprised to see him depart, it does leave a large, Canadian void at first base. He had one hell of a Twins career. I wrote a piece on my blog about his departure. So check it out if you're interested. Now, onto today's minor league action.
     
    ROCHESTER 3, SCRANTON W/B 2
     
    As a result of today's win, the Red Wings' season will come down down to a final game Monday. Per the Red Wings: "The win pulled the Red Wings within a half-game of wild card leader Norfolk, whose game in Durham started at 8 pm Sunday night after a lengthy rain delay. If the Wings finish tied with, or ahead of, Norfolk at end of play Monday, Rochester will get the wild card spot and open the playoffs at home Wednesday night." In any event, I'm sure the good fans in Rochester have appreciated winning baseball this season.
     
    In tonight's game, Pat Dean earned the win, tossing 7 innings of 1-run baseball. A.J. Achter and Michael Tonkin also threw tonight, as well. Offensively, Aaron Hicks, Ray Olmedo, Chris Parmelee and Jeff Clement all notched 2 hits. Hicks, by the way, had a triple and an RBI.
     
    Here's the link to the box score.
     
    NEW BRITAIN 5. READING 4
     
    Unfortunately, New Britain is not on the cusp of the playoffs, as they had been the two previous seasons. Still, though, there's a lot to play for. Kyle Davies and Daniel Turpen each pitched 3 innings tonight, giving up 2 runs and 1 run (earned), respectively. Cole Johnson tossed 2 scoreless innings, striking out 3 and walking none, and Dakota Watts earned the win throwing a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.
     
    Up until the 9th inning, it looked as though the Rock Cats were due for another loss. They were down 4-2. Then, with one out, Kyle Knudson, Brad Boyer and Angel Morales all singled (the latter scoring Knudson). The next batter, Danny Santana, reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Boyer, and Eddie Rosario ended the game with a sacrifice fly scoring Morales. On the night, Santana, Knudson and Morales had multi-hit efforts. Miguel Sano was 0-for-3.
     
    New Britain closes its season out Monday afternoon. I'll be there (after which I'm going to begin experiencing pretty substantial minor league withdrawal), so expect some sort of a recap tomorrow night.
     
    Here's a link to the box score.
     
    FT. MYERS 3, BRADENTON 2 (10 innings)
     
    The Miracle, of course, are already in the playoffs, but that didn't stop them from doing a little extra work today. Matt Tomshaw had a solid start, going 7 innings, allowing 2 runs, striking out 4 and issuing 0 free passes. Luke Bard struck out 2 in a perfect 8th inning, and Adrian Salcedo picked up the win, tossing the 9th and 10th innings. He struck out 3 and gave up no hits or walks. Some encouraging pitching performances from the Miracle today.
     
    Kennys Vargas was the hero on the offensive side today. He went 3-for-4 with a home run (his 19th on the season), 2 RBIs and a walk. Minnesota's own Adam Pettersen had 3 hits and an RBI of his own, and Levi Michael was 2-for-2 with a double. Just because you're probably scanning for his name as you read this, Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 and, if I'm reading the box score correctly, actually grounded into a double play. But don't worry, he still has a .326/.415/.472 line at High-A. And he's like 15 years old or something.
     
    Here's a link to the box score.
     
    CLINTON 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 1
     
    Cedar Rapids, much like Ft. Myers, has had one heck of a season. They finished at 87-50 and are headed to the playoffs. Say what you will about minor league playoffs, but I think that there's something to be said for these young guys learning to play winning Twins baseball early in the developmental process.
     
    Today Cedar Rapids came up on the short end, but there were some good performances. Starter Tim Atherton took a tough loss. He threw 6 innings, allowed 2 runs (only 1 earned -- the Kernels had 2 errors today), struck out 4 and walked 0. Alex Muren and Madison Boer tossed the other 2 innings, Boer giving up the third and final Clinton run.
     
    The Kernels amassed only 5 hits today, doubles from Jonathan Murphy and Tyler Grimes, and singles from Mike Gonzales, Niko Goodrum and Jeremias Pineda.
     
    Here's the link to the box score.
     
    That's it for today's minor league action. Please leave any questions or comments. Thanks for reading!

  18. Twins Fan From Afar
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    [TD=align: center]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pe_DFyfgUMM/UgGyJgcu3rI/AAAAAAAAApI/t1er7a1Lqvg/s320/Sano+Xmas.jpg[/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]If you can't tell, Miguel Sano is a kid
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar]
     
    If I told you that there was a Twins prospect at AA New Britain batting .243, you probably wouldn't blink an eye. If I told you he had some pop in his bat, and a good arm from the left side of the infield, maybe you'd express mild interest. But if I told you that the prospect was Miguel Sano, and that he had a combined 26 HRs and 80 RBIs in early August, playing in 2 pitchers' leagues, you'd probably be interested.
    Anyone who is reading this piece probably knows what Miguel Sano might -- or could -- mean to this franchise: without exaggeration, he probably is the best power-hitting Twins prospect in the past 30 years.
    He just turned 20, and he's holding his own at AA, which is generally considered the largest jump a hitter will make before reaching the major leagues.
    The purpose here isn't so much to cast opinion (to be sure, I have one, but I'm trying not to let it play out), but rather to to present arguments in favor of, and against, the idea of Sano finishing the season at Target Field as a member of the Twins. Without further ado, let's go through the pros and cons.
    Call Him Up!!!
    1. Sano is the best power hitting prospect the Twins have had in . . . well, forever. The Twins need power. Joshn Willingham and Justin Morneau are probably gone, and in any event they have largely been ineffective in 2013; Trevor Plouffe is sporadic. Right now, this club needs a middle-of-the-order bat that can do damage for the next several years. Anyone have a better in-house option than Sano?
    2. Yea, his AA batting average isn't great, but look at that OPS (.915). When he is getting on base and making contact, he's doing big, big damage. He has performed in the clutch this season with the Ft. Myers Mircale and the New Britain Rock Cats, and absolutely nothing suggests he won't continue that trend.
    3. Twins fans have been really screwed over these past few years. Sweet Lord: Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Jason Marquis, a billion injuries, shredded payroll. Come on, Pohlad Family and Terry Ryan, we really, really need a glimpse of the future, even if he's only 80% ready. You can't sell All-Star tickets on mere promises. Or maybe you can, but good luck filling those seats for the 81 non-All-Star games next season.
    People, Let's Be Prudent
    1. There is no rush with any prospect in this organization. The Twins need to be taking a long look -- this is a team that needs to be set up to win in 2015-2018. Forget the last month of 2013. And look at his maturity issues. This is a guy that needs to be taught "the process," taught humility, and then brought up when he's ready.
    2. Miguel Sano is not dominating AA. Let's not talk about this as if he's tearing the cover off the ball. The guy has 42 strike-outs in 41 games. Yea, he can, and does, hit the ball out of the park, but there's much more to being a major league player than that. And how about his defense. Yes, it's undoubtedly improved, but there's work to be done.
    3. A jump to the big leagues from AA isn't always in the player's best interest. Look at Oswaldo Arcia: a great hitting AA prospect, called up before he was ready. And it messed with his head. Let's not do that with Sano. Let's make sure he's ready, even if that means finishing this season in AA, or even starting 2014 in AAA. Sano is a rare, rare commodity. And the Twins can't screw this up.
    In short, this is a great dilemma. Again, Miguel Sano is 20 years old. And tearing the cover off the ball.Yet, even the biggest Sano supporter should concede that he's far from a perfect prospect. For me, going into the second week of August, I'm almost 50/50 as to whether Sano should spend September with the Twins. I'd love to hear you comments -- and arguments both in support and against -- Sano spending the last month of this season in Minneapolis.
  20. Twins Fan From Afar
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    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Windy skies tonight in New Britain
     
    [/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    This is a night where I'm glad I'm not a real journalist with a real deadline. Wow, what a game. Well, more specifically, what a game for Miguel Sano: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBIs. And the 1 out he made was a 400 ft monster fly ball that the Phillies' center fielder made a fantastic, leaping catch on. OK, I'll start at the beginning:
    The conditions at New Britain Stadium were damp, to say the least. About an hour before game time, a brief but severe storm passed through. The infield remained in good condition thanks to the tarp -- more accurately thanks to the grounds crew pictured above -- but parts of the outfield (lacking the advanced drainage system of Target Field) were soaked. The grounds crew did a great job taking care of that issue, however, and the game started just over an hour late (one neat thing about minor league baseball is that it's very much an all-hands-on-deck mentality -- the same people helping with the tarp or the drainage might be some of the same people you encounter in the press box or the concourses later).
    Perhaps Rock Cats starter Trevor May was off his rhythm due to the delay, because he surrendered a long and loud homer on the very first pitch of the game. It seemed as if May would settle down, though, and fortunately had his very good curve going early on, but it wasn't going to be that easy. A control problem that plagued May ended up (more or less) costing him 2 more runs: in the second inning, he walked the #7 hitter with 2 outs, then gave up another no-doubter to right field. It was his only walk of the night -- accompanied by 6 strikeouts -- but it was damaging.
    On the whole, I'd call it an up-and-down performance for May. On the one hand, the struck out 6, only walked 1, and had flashes of excellent pitching. On the other hand, he allowed 2 long home runs, issued a costly 2-out walk that preceded a home run, and was over 50 pitches with only 1 out in the third inning. He ended up tossing 93 pitches to make it through 5 innings. Definitely not an awful performance, but also not the kind of performance that's going to make Terry Ryan pick up the phone and set May up in Rochester. His final line: 5 innings; 4 ER; 6Ks; 1 BB. 2 HR.
    Offensively, wow. Have you heard of this prospect the Twins have? Miguel something-or-other? I'm no baseball expert, but I sure have been to a ton of MLB and MiLB games. Sano's performance tonight ranks right up there with any individual performance I have ever seen: A long, frozen rope single to left field; a first-pitch homer; and an amazing 9th inning homer. And his one out was a long, long fly to center. Ridiculous. Boy does that guy know how to hit. In fact, I have video of all his at-bats on my YouTube channel. Check it out. Again, I apologize for the poor quality of the video and the finger(s) that may occasionally appear in the corner of the screen. Hey, I never said I was Steven Spielberg!
    Two funny things about Sano's at-bats this evening: his single was hit harder than either of the homers; and the flyout to center field probably traveled farther than either of the home runs. The power he generates is amazing. Jeez the guy is impressive.
    Back to the game and the other 20-some players on the team. The problem with tonight's game is that there wasn't nearly enough Rock Cats offense. 5 hits -- 3 from Sano; one from Josmil Pinto; 1 from Nate Hanson. Although Trevor May wasn't great tonight, he did deserve better performance from the other 6 guys in the lineup.
    I spoke to Rock Cats' manager Jeff Smith after the game. The obvious questions would have been about Sano. But what could Smith say besides "he's great" or "he's a rare talent." "Wow. He hit the ball hard and far tonight???" I can write crap like that (in fact, you're reading it!). Instead I asked about May. As I've written before, May's downfall typically has been issuing too many walks and prematurely driving up that pitch count. But what about tonight? Only 1 walk and 6 strikeouts -- peripherally good numbers. Smith stated: "Home run on the first pitch of the game, and just fell behind. . . . If you look back, [May] only gave up 5 hits, but his pitch count got up there pretty fast. . . . There were about 2 or 3 at-bats that the other team had that were about 10-pitch at-bats. It might have started 1-0, 2-0 [on the batters], and the next thing you know, a guy starts fouling pitches back. [May] didn't pitch that bad. A lead-off home run, and then an 0-2 home run."
    For the most part that's an accurate assessment. There were a couple very, very long at-bats. May wasn't bad by any means. I didn't get a chance to speak to him -- and I'm pretty sure he would not have been one to make excuses -- but you do have to wonder what happens to a starter after an hour-long delay. Especially when the starter gives up a first-pitch homer. Although May took the loss, there were plenty of good things about his performance tonight: first-pitch strikes seemed to be better; the curve was great, especially early in the game; the extremely wet conditions on the field didn't seem to affect his control; 6 Ks to 1 BB in 5 innings with 5 hits is a solid performance, excepting that 2/5 hits were homers.
    All in all, what a crazy night. I'll be honest: I wanted to see a Miguel Sano home run tonight. I got what I came for, and then some. I'll leave you with a couple funny Sano stats: he's 4th on the Rock Cats in home runs despite playing only 17 games for them. He has more homers than singles. He has 16 RBIs in 17 games. And get this, HE'S BATTING A LOUSY .236. What a freak of nature.
    Thanks for reading.
  21. Twins Fan From Afar
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftOjgTqApzM/Uce1csJQRRI/AAAAAAAAAms/E4fKmCfKhk0/s320/Giftbasket.jpg
    You wake up hazy -- perhaps a little hung-over and still tasting those apple-tinis from the previous night. Across from you in the king size bed, an aging baseball superstar stirs, gently clutching a bear-skin blanket. His eyes open. He kisses you gently on the nose and says "that was nice." He informs you that he's called a Town Car to take you home. Derek Jeter then rises, stretches, and waves a nude hello to Manhattan from his apartment at the top of Trump Tower.
    You quickly grab your undergarments, what is left of your pride, and head down the elevator, wishing that he had given you time to at least brush your teeth or take an awesome Vine to show your friends. After you walk out the door of Trump Tower, you enter the black Lincoln Town Car.
    The driver says, "Good morning, Ms. Walter. Mr. Jeter has left something for you." Of course you're hoping that it's a key to his apartment (*his heart*), or his phone number. But no. To your surprise a cellophane-wrapped gift basket rests in the adjacent seat.
    After the initial disappointment sets in, you think, "OK, at least this jelly of the month club is going to be pretty awesome. I mean, I didn't think asparagus preserves would be good but I'm willing to give it a try." Then you look closer, and see the following:
     

    A Derek Jeter stamp-signed knock-off baseball. You're pretty sure it's not authentic because it's a little un-round and you don't remember "Rollings" being a legitimate baseball company.
    A gift certificate for a bikini wax. Jerk.
    A voucher to be a "seat filler" for the wealthy New York businessmen that don't occupy the seats behind home plate at Yankee Stadium.
    $5 worth of those McDonald's gift certificates you used to get when you were a kid. You're actually pretty happy with that one.

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    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bT-jn-_T3pM/Uce4CAX92SI/AAAAAAAAAm8/lTeA9D-FvHw/s1600/Mcdonalds.jpg


    [TD=class: tr-caption]"Thanks, Captain. Now I can get most of an
    Extra Value Meal."
    [/TD]


    [/TABLE]What you just read was a rendition (with artistic license) of what reportedly happened to a woman whom Jeter had taken home. After the Yankees' captain ditched Minka Kelly, he apparently was enjoying the single life. If you believe the story, Jeter failed to remember taking this particular woman home. When she got in the Town Car the morning after their second encounter, there, in the seat next to her, to her surprise, was the identical gift basket she had received after the first go-around. This leads to two somewhat logical conclusions: 1) Jeter does this for all or most of the women he takes home; 2) he did not remember that he previously had -- spent time -- with this lady.
    In terms of real-life, sports news, and the Twins-Yankees rivalry, this was, and still is, a "nothing story." As far as the Yankees go, I have a strong dislike for them. But I really respect Jeter. He's always seemed like a classy guy on and off the field, and has had one hell of a career. This story -- even if true, and that's a big if -- does nothing for me. But it is humorous.
    In the comments section, please share what other items Jeter could/should have included in the gift basket. Be creative and funny, but not disgusting.
     
    Or, what would be good items in a Twins one-night-stand gift basket? Embers giftcards, a night at the FantaSuites in Burnsville, wild rice?
  22. Twins Fan From Afar
    Last week, I was in the right place at the right time: the AA debuts of top Twins' prospect Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. One big takeaway from Sano's and Rosario's first couple AA games was that their reputations preceded them; in other words, pitchers knew who these guys were. Take a look at the (grainy amateur) video I shot of some early at-bats -- the pitches weren't even close. As a result, Sano and Rosario, but Sano especially, seemed to only get maybe 1 pitch per at-bat in his wheelhouse. I suspect this is a problem that has plagued him his entire career, and probably won't stop until he he has someone equally or more talented hitting behind him.
    Today I thought I would take a look at the very, very sample size that has been Sano's AA career. I want to see how pitchers are approaching his at-bats. As of the writing of this article, Sano has compiled 19 plate appearances for the Rock Cats: 1 hit, 6 walks, 3 Ks, and 9 other outs on balls in play. I'm going to use screenshots. As a caveat, please be aware that the Gameday information is imperfect: it's a good tool, but is, of course, subject to human error. That being said, let's take a look.
    1: 5-pitch walk. Arguably 1 pitch to hit, and he fouled it off.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2vGxHB35FZw/Ub-snjZL1bI/AAAAAAAAAjI/5rnRM7Ts7q0/s320/IMAG0467.jpg
     
    2: 2-pitch ground out to third
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-velJSvId9u8/Ub-s50fKY4I/AAAAAAAAAjU/342LdSl50PE/s320/IMAG0468.jpg
     
     
    3: 3-pitch sac fly. All hittable pitches. 2 called strikes and the fly ball.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hyqEvPejxIM/Ub-tH23kowI/AAAAAAAAAjc/Hhkp9ySBVPY/s320/IMAG0469.jpg
    4: 4-pitch swinging K.
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UWtp88yGBLo/Ub-t_PiJfZI/AAAAAAAAAjs/xDFgnCZ_0_s/s320/IMAG0470.jpg
    5: 5-pitch sac fly. The 3 balls appeared pretty far off the plate.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KOjIGxnF6nQ/Ub-u1hWW4eI/AAAAAAAAAj0/NXWKnISWkqY/s320/IMAG0471.jpg
     
    6: 6-pitch called strikeout. Looked like some hittable pitches up in the zone.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-2fZhDMJTQ/Ub-vyp7rBZI/AAAAAAAAAkE/aXslqW0i5hg/s320/IMAG0472.jpg
    7: 5-pitch flyout to left.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQIvp_amxS0/Ub-wnfMTd3I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/yQDYXV-lPHc/s320/IMAG0473.jpg
    8: 3-pitch flyout to right.
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HzPzkKD5Pg8/Ub-xMzP9QsI/AAAAAAAAAkc/KQ0Topdj2FU/s320/IMAG0474.jpg
    9: 1-pitch single to left. Looked like a good pitch to hit.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ifjHj--ISn8/Ub-xspkbxOI/AAAAAAAAAkk/YjtLGa0Vhyg/s320/IMAG0475.jpg
    10: 2-pitch groundout to shortstop:
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RMXtba-YdRE/Ub-ygfYf1KI/AAAAAAAAAk0/YFGGKKs7vU0/s320/IMAG0476.jpg
    11: 5-pitch walk.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Cj9upCs5YM/Ub-zTEt3RMI/AAAAAAAAAk8/FoBqn6EFS9U/s320/IMAG0477.jpg
     
    12: 3-pitch flyout to center.
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTOPnd2Qocw/Ub-z7BNAOMI/AAAAAAAAAlE/MUs0eD0pwt0/s320/IMAG0478.jpg
    13: 8-pitch walk. Looks like he was consistently worked outside.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gT8kQGEwl5E/Ub-0vLuo22I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/Kr-AHR0-Fzc/s320/IMAG0479.jpg
    14: 6-pitch walk. Again worked outside.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zoFq2006mPk/Ub-1xH9jeFI/AAAAAAAAAlg/qwhfnWDXes0/s320/IMAG0480.jpg
    15: 6-pitch pop-out to first base. He was worked inside. Perhaps only the second or third plate appearance of thus far where a pitcher deliberately challenged him on the inner half.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H6SDwvwDxKE/Ub-5z-qn3rI/AAAAAAAAAlw/MEr9fpQyH2A/s320/IMAG0481.jpg
    16: 6-pitch walk. Again worked inside by Harrisburg starter Blake Treinen.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ksazj0O5MM0/Ub-6hNP4nuI/AAAAAAAAAl8/xZ2o808wg8w/s320/IMAG0482.jpg
    17: 3-pitch grounder to shortstop. Treinen went inside on the third pitch.
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lI02T00D9sI/Ub-7KKETIQI/AAAAAAAAAmI/lk-KE2XpOKU/s320/IMAG0483.jpg
    18: 3 called strikes.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9AdQyC8_VHE/Ub-7r_SxRnI/AAAAAAAAAmU/cfyaW493Ofg/s320/IMAG0484.jpg
    19: 6-pitch walk. Check out those inside pitches.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Amf2Yefs4yc/Ub-8OjWwoOI/AAAAAAAAAmc/fKb_dOyI79s/s320/IMAG0485.jpg
    Some quick takeaways from this very small sample size:
     

    With the exception of the final game (appearances 15-19), teams are really working Sano outside. Not a big surprise. But the strange part is that the inside pitches, thus far, haven't produced big results. Sano is probably used to being pitched outside so much that the inside pitches might surprise him.
    Sano has swung at the first pitch in 7 of these 19 plate appearances.
    He has a strange, strange line of .091/.368/.091. This suggests at least 3 things: 1) the sample size is so small as to be meaningless; 2) Sano is not hitting yet; 3) he is reaching base via the walk at a high, high rate.
    He's not striking out at a higher rate than he did at High-A.
    Sano is taking good at-bats, even if they aren't ending with hits. He has only 1 one-pitch at-bat (it was his lone hit, by the way); he's averaging 4.3 pitches per plate appearance (for comparison, right now Joe Mauer is 6th in baseball with 4.24 pitches per plate appearance).

    My quick take: Sano is doing what he should be doing. He's seeing pitches from pitchers that are new to him; he's managing to reach base at a good clip despite not getting base hits; he's "just missing" -- his words not mine -- baseballs. In other words, just be patient.
    I'm curious what others think, or can glean, from these screenshots (again, taking them for what they are -- an imperfect tool). It's going to be interesting to see how pitchers plan to approach Sano as spring becomes summer, and as Sano eventually starts to see some of these guys a second time. It will also help matters greatly if those batting behind Sano prove a formidable threat.
  24. Twins Fan From Afar
    In the nightcap it wasn't just Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario that I was excited to see. This was also my first time seeing righty Trevor May in person.
    May consistently hit 93 with his fastball in the 1st inning, and was moving it in and out pretty effectively. Same control problems we have all heard about, though. Had a 4-pitch walk and a wild pitch in the first inning. 20 pitches to get out of it. The second inning, though, was much better -- 14 pitches 1-2-3.
    Ironically, former Twins' farmhand David Bromberg got the start for the Altoona Curve. He pitched very, very well tonight.
    The Twins' big prospects: Rosario walked in his first at-bat. Sano K'd mightily. Morales -- who shouldn't be forgotten -- also struck out swinging.
    Control issues came back in 3rd inning for May. He walked leadoff batter, and took 13 total pitches to record an out (swinging strikeout). But then May came back with a convincing strikeout. He started off the next hitter with 3 balls before giving up a well struck homer to left-center. With May, it's not just the walks -- it's the extra pitches the walks and control problems generate. One positive: I like May's curve. Another: he was still throwing the fastball 93 in the 6th inning just about 90 pitches into his outing.
    In Rosario's second at-bat, he really turned on a 1-1 offering for a hard single to right. It was a quick, decisive and powerful swing.
    Sano's second at bat: worked a 3-1 count, got a pitch to hit, and again just missed it. Another high sacrifice fly just shy of the warning track, to put the Cats on the board.
    Morales second at-bat: half-swing strikeout. Not a good at-bat. Rosario's third at-bat, half-swinging strikeout. He did take a vicious cut on a fastball earlier in the at-bat. I can definitely see where the power comes from.
    Rosario made a great play at second -- picking a low throw from C Kyle Knudson and applying the tag just in time. Definitely an average to above-average play. The the kind of thing that makes a manager curse: Trevor May immediately walks that batter with 2 outs.
    All in all, May had a decent start. 6 and 1/3 innings, charged with 3 earned runs. The control problems were on display, but so was his strikeout potential. 8 Ks and 3 walks; 106 pitches; 62 for strikes.
    The players were pretty tired after the doubleheader, and the locker room was already clearing out. There was one guy at his locker, eating a plate of food in silence. It was Sano. I asked for just a moment of his time. Clearly Sano was tired from a whirlwind few days, but obliged. No translator, either!
    Regarding his 2 sacrifice flies tonight, Sano admitted that "when [he] hit them, [he] thought they were home runs," but he was just "a little under" the ball. On his call-up: "I was so happy, I have been working so hard." Describing the moment he was called up, Sano told me: "[Doug] Mientkiewicz said 'Sano, Rosario, Morales come here. You're ready to be promoted to Double-A.'" Regarding his defense, at third base, Sano confirmed that he is "totally comfortable there." And again, he looked very comfortable fielding tonight.
    All in all, it was 2 Rock Cats losses, but solid offensive and defensive performances from Sano and Rosario. More notes forthcoming, but it's been a long night of baseball.
  25. Twins Fan From Afar
    New Britain only amassed 3 hits in the first of two 7-inning contests tonight, but to be completely honest, that wasn't the main -- or perhaps even secondary -- story. No, make no mistake, fans and reporters (including this fan/reporter) were here to see Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Angel Morales, the newest additions to the Rock Cats. I was fortunate to be in attendance, to take a few pictures, and even awful video, of the debuts.
    [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container]

    [TD=align: center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1M9A5gvsug/UbkKbZgOh2I/AAAAAAAAAi0/Tj6D4qelVDo/s320/IMAG0464.jpg[/TD]


    [TD=class: tr-caption, align: center]Miguel Sano (#24), nicknamed "Boacton," warming up[/TD]

    [/TABLE]
    One interesting item: the home plate umpire wore a camera on his facemask for the first part of the game. This was in connection with the documentary being filmed about Sano, The Miguel Sano Story. Here's some more information on that. I loved the first documentary, Ballplayer: Pelotero, and it's pretty cool that the sequel is (partly) being filmed right here. I suspect, though, that the filmmakers hope that the end of the documentary takes place a little west of Connecticut.
    My biggest takeaway from the first game: Sano's defense looked good. The arm got the job done. Sano had to come in on a bunt early on and made a nice play, and he snagged a hard grounder right after (he actually took a few steps back to third base in a decent attempt to catch the runner on third, who had just broken home). At no point was there any awkward footwork or anything that would suggest that Sano was uncomfortable at that position. To be sure, he wasn't tested with a diving play, and didn't have to barehand a ball in this first game, but he looked good. Solid.
    At bat, he was decent. He wasn't challenged in his first plate appearance, which ended in a 5-pitch walk. He was, however, thrown out stealing second. Don't forget -- Sano does have some speed (he stole 9 bases with Ft. Myers this spring). In his second at-bat he grounded rather routinely to third base. His final at-bat was probably the best. He was just under a fly ball, which went for a sac fly. He didn't "connect" with the pitch, yet it ended up just shy of the warning track.
    You can check out awful videos of Sano's at-bats here. Again, the videos are jittery. I took them with my phone. I'll get better, maybe.
    I thought Rosario played well, also. He took a 4-pitch walk in his first at-bat, hit a sinking liner to center in his second at-bat (that took a decent play from the centerfielder), and singled with a grounder up the middle in his final at-bat. No big defensive challenges that I recall.
    Angel Morales batted 9th in the order. He struck out in his first at-bat, grounded out to second in his second at-bat, and grounded to short in his final trip to the plate.
    General thoughts:
     

    Rosario has a compact swing, and is not a huge guy, but you can see where the power comes from. For lack of a better word, he is coiled when he bats. I'm excited to watch him hit.
    Wow, Sano is huge. Look at that picture of him compared to the other professional athletes next to him.
    I think Sano is used to getting pitched around. The difference between High-A pitching and AA pitching is significant. Let's see Sano gets tons of pitches to hit early on, or if pitchers try to paint the corners when he bats.

    Game 2 is just about to start. Let's see what happens. Expect more tweets, more awful videos, and another recap.
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