Twins Fan From Afar

There's no doubt that Shields would be a great asset to this team and would instantly become our #1 starter. And I have no problem giving up Span for him. My problem, though, is this: I have serious, serious doubts that this team is going to contend for anything next season, and in my mind 2014 would be the first season that they legitimately could expect to be above .500. Maybe (hopefully) I'm dead wrong about this. But if that's true, it doesn't do a whole lot of good to have Shields just until the point that he's not under contract (after 2014), which happens to be the point where I think this team could come into its own with a young crop of talent. Make no mistake, though, it would be a nice pick-up.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/11/orioles-claim-alexi-casilla.html MLBTR has Baltimore claiming Casilla off of waivers.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/11/orioles-claim-alexi-casilla.html MLBTR has Baltimore claiming Casilla off of waivers.

I'd like to get a better idea of Ryan's mindset regarding starting pitching in 2013 and beyond, because everything he has said publicly thus far has been essentially generalizations (as is expected). So here's my question: The Twins will spend approximately $27 million on player payroll at the catching position next season and $14 milion at first base. The position players, Mauer and Morneau, are expected to be among the best in baseball. Why has there been a reluctance by the Twins to field similar caliber talent when it comes to starting pitching, even if it means that you have to pay on the open market for such talent? Certainly it cannot be simply because the pitchers are not homegrown, or are more injury-prone than our own star players. Given the difficulty of developing top-level pitching talent, isn't paying market value for reliable starting pitching (meaning pitchers that are superior in talent to "league average" pitchers such as Carl Pavano and "innings-eaters" like Jason Marquis) just the way that it has to be done sometimes in order to field a team that can at least win half its games?

He started hitting leadoff this year, I believe. Meaning he was previously in the middle of the order? It seems like he could profile as maybe more of a #2 hitter just because he has a little more pop. The Rock Cats had Hicks batting 5th at the beginning of the season. You're right -- he does have more pop than a Span or Revere type player, but he really came alive after the team moved him up to leadoff. In my opinion, anyway, he began taking better at-bats. I could see him as #2 hitter with Revere in front of him.

I think this was written by Al Swearengen from Deadwood.

Great stuff, JB! I had forgotten writing that post and the good discussion that ensued.

How deep will this overhaul go? Wayne "Big Fella" Hattaway???

Wow. I have to say that this thread seems unnecessarily nasty. Plenty of people here with independent blogs, such as myself, do link to their work from time to time. Not sure what the harm is. It's just like anything else in life: you have a choice -- either click on the link, or don't.

Thanks for the stats. I guess my answer is either "both," or Revere. Once we factor in defensive metrics, Revere's lower salary, and the fact that a Span trade could (hopefully) bring in good pitching talent, I guess to me the offensive drop from Span to Revere isn't that big of a deal.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7P0n8p_uIw/UGwrL7pS4nI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jM9rwUSf_2Q/s1600/Target+Field.bmp The fact that the Twins were awful for a second straight season admittedly diminished the amount of baseball that I watched this year, and I found it somewhat difficult to write about the Twins as the season dragged on, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed covering the Rock Cats -- a winning baseball team. Still, though, it's always disappointing when the season comes to an end. Here is a little list of things that I will miss, or already do miss, about Twins-related baseball. 1. Checking for the lineups to come out each afternoon. 2. Getaway day games that make life at the office just a little bit better. 3. Checking Joe Mauer's batting average against the leaderboard. 4. Going to Rock Cats games and sitting 1 row above the home dugout for $12 or so. 5. Following Twins prospects coming up with the Red Wings, Rock Cats, Miracle, Snappers, E-Town, and other teams. 6. Watching Ben Revere highlights and arguing with people that still think that he can't be a serviceable major league center fielder. 7. Checking the overall baseball standings to find out where the Twins will draft in 2013 (4th overall). 8. Getting to know a few of the Rock Cats players through events at the ballpark and in the community. 9. The feeling that, regardless of what else is going on in life, and regardless of whether the Twins are in first place or last, they are a great distraction. 10. Listening to the radio broadcast and being taken back to a time when I was 10 years old, laying in my childhood bed, quietly listening to John Gordon or Herb Carneal on 830 before I fell asleep.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7P0n8p_uIw/UGwrL7pS4nI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jM9rwUSf_2Q/s1600/Target+Field.bmp The fact that the Twins were awful for a second straight season admittedly diminished the amount of baseball that I watched this year, and I found it somewhat difficult to write about the Twins as the season dragged on, which is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed covering the Rock Cats -- a winning baseball team. Still, though, it's always disappointing when the season comes to an end. Here is a little list of things that I will miss, or already do miss, about Twins-related baseball. 1. Checking for the lineups to come out each afternoon. 2. Getaway day games that make life at the office just a little bit better. 3. Checking Joe Mauer's batting average against the leaderboard. 4. Going to Rock Cats games and sitting 1 row above the home dugout for $12 or so. 5. Following Twins prospects coming up with the Red Wings, Rock Cats, Miracle, Snappers, E-Town, and other teams. 6. Watching Ben Revere highlights and arguing with people that still think that he can't be a serviceable major league center fielder. 7. Checking the overall baseball standings to find out where the Twins will draft in 2013 (4th overall). 8. Getting to know a few of the Rock Cats players through events at the ballpark and in the community. 9. The feeling that, regardless of what else is going on in life, and regardless of whether the Twins are in first place or last, they are a great distraction. 10. Listening to the radio broadcast and being taken back to a time when I was 10 years old, laying in my childhood bed, quietly listening to John Gordon or Herb Carneal on 830 before I fell asleep.

Thanks for the link -- that is indeed a great read. And I agree that the Triple Crown is still relevant, even with modern statistical analysis.

I think there's a distinction to be made here. I agree with you (or what I think you're saying) that batting average as a statistic is overrated or perhaps not that useful as a tool of comparison. That being said, we're talking about a batting race, which is just an exciting thing. It still does mean something, to me, anyway, that a guy from our team stands a chance to get the most hits-per-ABs in all of the American League. Will that make Mauer the "best hitter" in the AL? Maybe not. But it still does mean something. Just like the home run title -- sort of meaningless statistically, but worth following nonetheless.

Survey completed. I guess I'm the "guy from New Britain" LOL.

John, good questions. I'll just address the Arcia stuff, since I don't have any real knowledge base on the other issues you raise. First, I don't think his glove is a liability. He came up as a CF, but of course with Span/Revere/Hicks/Benson will probably never play an inning there again. From what I saw, he has good range and speed, and a decent arm. And yes, when I make my Top 10 prospect ranking this off-season, he is in all likelihood going to be my #2 prospect in this organization. I'll have Sano first, then Arcia, with Buxton and Hicks also occupying slots in the top 5. Berrios also has been impressive, and we definitely need a pitcher to be excited about.

I respectfully disagree on Colabello. Seth's post was about the Twins' minor league hitters of the year, not a prospect ranking list (where, of course, Colabello would not crack the top 40, and where your comparisons about his OPS, age and level of competition would have merit). Aside from being a feel-good story, keep in mind that Colabello set a Rock Cats' franchise record for RBIs. And here's how he ranked in the entire Eastern League in some offensive categories: Hits -- 141 (7th); doubles -- 37 (1st); home runs -- 19 (T5); RBIs -- 98 (2nd); total bases -- 237 (2nd); OBP -- .358 (13th); SLG -- .478 (T5); OPS -- .836 (T5). It's a pretty solid offensive season.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKSjCGY274/UEiZQtQIynI/AAAAAAAAAd0/AxQ_RTFFrVw/s320/Arcia.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Emerging prospect Oswaldo Arcia batting late in the 2012 season [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive season, the Rock Cats made it to the final game with a chance to make the playoffs. For the second consecutive season, they fell just short. They ended the season with a respectable record of 75-67, winning each of their last 6 games in a push for the playoffs. Playoffs in the minor leagues are interesting. On the one hand, the guys are competitors and want to earn a ring -- and we, as fans, want them to win, even in the minor leagues, where the focus should be predominately on player development. On the other hand, there's no significant financial incentive to play more games, and we're talking about young men that have been away from home for half a year, living out of suitcases and traveling almost exclusively on buses. So it's an interesting dichotomy. On that topic, here's a minor league anecdote for you: Most of the Rockcats' players leases were set to expire on the last day of the regular season. I was talking to a few of them, and here's what their schedule was like for 1 particular 24 hour period --- day game after a night game; go back to apartment, pack and clean it out so that landlord can conduct walk-through; sleep somewhere; play final game of season (which, if they won, they would have had to immediately board a bus to Reading, PA). Moreso than the slash lines, gym time, and bullpen sessions, that is the life of a minor leaguer. For every Aaron Hicks who has received a sizable signing bonus, there are dozens of Nathan Hansons and Chris Colabellos -- guys fighting, paycheck to paycheck, to defy the odds and keep advancing through the minor leagues. That's minor league baseball. It was a very solid season for New Britain. Two players in particular -- Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks -- surpassed expectations, and will each rank somewhere in the top 5 on my list of Twins prospects going into 2013. Chris Herrmann demonstrated to me that he can handle the job of back-up catcher at least as well as Drew Butera. Chris Colabello -- a 28 year old depth signing -- set the franchise record for RBIs. Even Deibinson Romero, too old to be a legitimate prospect, hit 19 home runs and was named a season-ending All-Star. You'll notice that I'm not focusing too much on pitching. As I've written before, most pitchers with even decent stats were sent very quickly to AAA. Additionally, aside from B.J. Hermsen (who had a very solid season, going 11-6 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio), I didn't see too much from the starters that really registered with me. Bruce Pugh, out of the bullpen, throws pretty hard, so that is encouraging. If you follow the Twins, though, it won't be surprising for you to hear that there is a dearth of top shelf pitching talent at this level of the minors. There were some very memorable moments this season, as well. My "season" covering the Rock Cats actually started in January, well before Spring Training, when I attended the team's Hot Stove Luncheon, where former GM Bill Smith was the keynote speaker. Probably most important happening, for me personally this season, was when the Twins and the Rock Cats announced that they had extended their player development contract through the 2014 season, so I will have Twins-related baseball to follow, just down the road, for at least another couple years. With respect to on-the-field action, there was plenty. Arcia hit a walk-off home run shortly after being promoted. Colabello did the same -- his was a majestic opposite-field shot that glanced off a light tower. On several occasions this team came back in the final innings -- one time plating multiple runs when they were down to their final out -- to win outright, or at the very least, to push the contest to extra innings. Herrmann had 4 hits in consecutive games. Arcia had multiple hits in each of his last 8 games this season, and looked darn close to a major league hitter in my opinion. He was twice named Eastern League player of the week, and was the Eastern League player of the month in July. Hicks had 5 hits in a game, and has excellent speed. In fact, Hicks' ascension up the Twins prospect rankings might make an off-season trade of either Denard Span or Ben Revere more probable. On a personal level, this was a fun year to follow the team. I had a tough time keeping up with the blog part of this summer, as work and life got in the way just a little, so I apologize for that. That being said, it's incredibly easy to get involved with team events and to meet the players. I probably went to 15 or so games, and blogged about most of them. I got to know a lot of the season ticket holders, who are all fantastic people -- and Twins fans! I attended a preseason team dinner, where I sat with Alex Wimmers for a few hours. Unfortunately, Wimmers made only one start for New Britain before an arm injury, which eventually required Tommy John surgery, sidelined him for the season. I purchased a game-worn and signed Oswaldo Arcia "Irish Pride Night" jersey to support the Rock Cats charitable foundation (and met Arcia). Not regretting that purchase at all. I went to another charity event at a local bar/grill, where Chris Herrmann, whom I previously had interviewed, was my waiter, and where I talked to Aaron Hicks -- one of the nicest athletes I have ever met -- for a good half hour. I was a guest of infielder James Beresford's family, who had traveled from Australia to watch their son play for a few weeks. A couple weeks ago, Terry Ryan was in attendance, so I introduced myself and tried to talk up Herrmann to him. Finally, I threw out a first pitch a few weeks ago, and am happy to report that, although the velocity is significantly down, the accuracy is still there -- in other words, I fit the Twins mold. I'm already looking forward to next year. Although I've almost certainly seen the last of Hicks and Herrmann, and probably Arcia, I'm excited for the next wave of talent coming up -- perhaps not at the beginning of the season, but by next summer.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdKSjCGY274/UEiZQtQIynI/AAAAAAAAAd0/AxQ_RTFFrVw/s320/Arcia.jpg [TD=class: tr-caption]Emerging prospect Oswaldo Arcia batting late in the 2012 season [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive season, the Rock Cats made it to the final game with a chance to make the playoffs. For the second consecutive season, they fell just short. They ended the season with a respectable record of 75-67, winning each of their last 6 games in a push for the playoffs. Playoffs in the minor leagues are interesting. On the one hand, the guys are competitors and want to earn a ring -- and we, as fans, want them to win, even in the minor leagues, where the focus should be predominately on player development. On the other hand, there's no significant financial incentive to play more games, and we're talking about young men that have been away from home for half a year, living out of suitcases and traveling almost exclusively on buses. So it's an interesting dichotomy. On that topic, here's a minor league anecdote for you: Most of the Rockcats' players leases were set to expire on the last day of the regular season. I was talking to a few of them, and here's what their schedule was like for 1 particular 24 hour period --- day game after a night game; go back to apartment, pack and clean it out so that landlord can conduct walk-through; sleep somewhere; play final game of season (which, if they won, they would have had to immediately board a bus to Reading, PA). Moreso than the slash lines, gym time, and bullpen sessions, that is the life of a minor leaguer. For every Aaron Hicks who has received a sizable signing bonus, there are dozens of Nathan Hansons and Chris Colabellos -- guys fighting, paycheck to paycheck, to defy the odds and keep advancing through the minor leagues. That's minor league baseball. It was a very solid season for New Britain. Two players in particular -- Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks -- surpassed expectations, and will each rank somewhere in the top 5 on my list of Twins prospects going into 2013. Chris Herrmann demonstrated to me that he can handle the job of back-up catcher at least as well as Drew Butera. Chris Colabello -- a 28 year old depth signing -- set the franchise record for RBIs. Even Deibinson Romero, too old to be a legitimate prospect, hit 19 home runs and was named a season-ending All-Star. You'll notice that I'm not focusing too much on pitching. As I've written before, most pitchers with even decent stats were sent very quickly to AAA. Additionally, aside from B.J. Hermsen (who had a very solid season, going 11-6 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio), I didn't see too much from the starters that really registered with me. Bruce Pugh, out of the bullpen, throws pretty hard, so that is encouraging. If you follow the Twins, though, it won't be surprising for you to hear that there is a dearth of top shelf pitching talent at this level of the minors. There were some very memorable moments this season, as well. My "season" covering the Rock Cats actually started in January, well before Spring Training, when I attended the team's Hot Stove Luncheon, where former GM Bill Smith was the keynote speaker. Probably most important happening, for me personally this season, was when the Twins and the Rock Cats announced that they had extended their player development contract through the 2014 season, so I will have Twins-related baseball to follow, just down the road, for at least another couple years. With respect to on-the-field action, there was plenty. Arcia hit a walk-off home run shortly after being promoted. Colabello did the same -- his was a majestic opposite-field shot that glanced off a light tower. On several occasions this team came back in the final innings -- one time plating multiple runs when they were down to their final out -- to win outright, or at the very least, to push the contest to extra innings. Herrmann had 4 hits in consecutive games. Arcia had multiple hits in each of his last 8 games this season, and looked darn close to a major league hitter in my opinion. He was twice named Eastern League player of the week, and was the Eastern League player of the month in July. Hicks had 5 hits in a game, and has excellent speed. In fact, Hicks' ascension up the Twins prospect rankings might make an off-season trade of either Denard Span or Ben Revere more probable. On a personal level, this was a fun year to follow the team. I had a tough time keeping up with the blog part of this summer, as work and life got in the way just a little, so I apologize for that. That being said, it's incredibly easy to get involved with team events and to meet the players. I probably went to 15 or so games, and blogged about most of them. I got to know a lot of the season ticket holders, who are all fantastic people -- and Twins fans! I attended a preseason team dinner, where I sat with Alex Wimmers for a few hours. Unfortunately, Wimmers made only one start for New Britain before an arm injury, which eventually required Tommy John surgery, sidelined him for the season. I purchased a game-worn and signed Oswaldo Arcia "Irish Pride Night" jersey to support the Rock Cats charitable foundation (and met Arcia). Not regretting that purchase at all. I went to another charity event at a local bar/grill, where Chris Herrmann, whom I previously had interviewed, was my waiter, and where I talked to Aaron Hicks -- one of the nicest athletes I have ever met -- for a good half hour. I was a guest of infielder James Beresford's family, who had traveled from Australia to watch their son play for a few weeks. A couple weeks ago, Terry Ryan was in attendance, so I introduced myself and tried to talk up Herrmann to him. Finally, I threw out a first pitch a few weeks ago, and am happy to report that, although the velocity is significantly down, the accuracy is still there -- in other words, I fit the Twins mold. I'm already looking forward to next year. Although I've almost certainly seen the last of Hicks and Herrmann, and probably Arcia, I'm excited for the next wave of talent coming up -- perhaps not at the beginning of the season, but by next summer.

Yeah, he was supposed to go to Elizabethton that first year, but there was a need in Beloit so he was pushed a little too quickly. Yep, good correction!

Thanks for the comments, guys. Colabello had a fantastic season, also. He was officially named the team's MVP, and it's hard to argue with the logic. He was remarkably consistent nearly all season, set the RBI record, and delivered a few big, big hits to tie/win games late. Oh yea, and he is 28 and had never played affiliated baseball!! RBIs being somewhat a team statistic, Colabello was definitely aided by having Hicks and Arcia on base at such a great rate. Terry Ryan told Colabello a couple weeks ago (when Ryan was scouting for Sept. call-ups) that Colabello "was the glue that held the team together."

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?1010-Twins-Fan-From-Afar-s-2012-Rock-Cats-MVP-Aaron-Hicks

Thanks, JC. I remember it being really disappointing that there was a land war going on! Glad it was worked out.

JC, thanks for the info. I could probably look this up, but may as well just ask you: Did they resolve the ownership issue that plagued this property for so many years? I remember going there, probably in 1997 or so, and there was a bitter dispute over 2 different owners of different parts of the field.