Twins Fan From Afar

Rhodes had a good night at the plate -- 3-for-4 with a double I believe.

Well, the Twins lost tonight, 7-2 to the Pirates. At least it was in a beautiful ballpark. I enjoyed watching the Twitter feeds of the Twins beat writers, reporters and other journalists this afternoon, as they were filled with pictures of PNC Park. I have to say, I love Target Field, but PNC just might have us beat. At the very least, it was nice to see Trevor Plouffe continue to swing the hot bat (2-for-3 with a walk), and Denard Span homered. Hopefully they have better luck tomorrow. Let's see how the affiliates did tonight. Spoiler alert: it wasn't pretty. ROCHESTER 2, DURHAM 8 Lucas French had a rough outing, lasting only 3 and 1/3 innings and giving up 6 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 1. French's AAA ERA is 5.44. Deolis Guerra also ran into trouble. In 1 and 2/3 innings, Guerra gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 3. Kyle Waldrop threw 2 scoreless innings, and Casey Fein and Tyler Robertson each tossed scoreless innings. The Red Wings amassed only 6 hits all evening. Right fielder Wilkin Ramirez was 1-for-4 with a 2-run home run. That accounted for all the scoring. Danny Valencia was 2-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Michael Hollimon had a triple and 2 walks, and Clete Thomas and Pedro Florimon each had a single. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 1, ALTOONA 8 The Rock Cats continued their slide in the Eastern League standings, getting hammered tonight. Logan Darnell was charged with the loss, throwing 5 innings, and allowing 4 earned runs (6 total) on 10 hits. He struck out 1. Daniel Sattler (recent St. Paul Saints signing) made his AA debut tonight. In 2 innings of work, he gave up 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 2. Blake Martin allowed 1 run in 1 inning of work, allowing no hits, but walking 3 and striking out 2. Like the Red Wings, the Rock Cats only got 6 hits all evening. Top prospect Oswaldo Arcia had a debut he would probably like to forget. He was 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts. Oh well; he'll be back tomorrow and probably much better. Evan Bigley was the best offensive player tonight, going 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Bigley is likely to lose playing time to Arcia, so he is probably feeling motivated to play well when he gets the opportunity. Aaron Hicks returned to the lineup after being out about a week with an ankle sprain. He was 1-for-4. Deibinson Romero and James Beresford each singled for New Britain. Romero also had the only walk of the evening for the Rock Cats. Here's the link to the box score. FT. MYERS 2, JUPITER 6 This must have been another bullpen day for the Miracle. Tom Stuifbergen got the start for Ft. Myers, and gave up 1 earned run (3 total) in 2 innings on the hill. He allowed 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 1. Jose Gonzalez threw 2 and 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs. Gonzalez gave up 4 hits, but struck out 6. Kind of an interesting stat line. Edgar Ibarra was excellent tonight: in 2 and 1/3 innings, he allowed no runs on 2 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1. Finally, Dakota Watts threw a scoreless inning. Kyle Knudson was 3-for-4 tonight with a double and a run. Levi Michael was 2-for-2 with a double and 3 walks (he also committed his 9th error of the season, a fielding miscue). Daniel Rams hit his second home run of the year, and Josmil Pinto and Angel Morales each singled. The Miracle walked 8 times tonight -- it's disappointing they couldn't convert on more of the free passes. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT was not in action tonight, as it was the Midwest League All-Star game. I'll do a quick rundown of the Snappers' All-Star performances: Miguel Sano was 0-for-1 with a walk; Jonathan Goncalves was 1-for-2 with an RBI; Tyler Grimes was 0-for-1 with a walk; Jairo Rodriguez was 0-for-1 with a walk. Pitcher A.J. Achter went 2/3 of an inning, striking out 2 and allowing 1 hit; Jason Wheeler also threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning, and Michael Tonkin threw 1/3 of an inning, allowing 1 hit. Here's the link to the lengthy box score. ELIZABETHTON 5, DANVILLE 7 It's exciting to see some guys that we have read about getting to play in real games. Hudson Boyd took the loss tonight. In 3 innings of work, he gave up 1 earned run (3 total) on 4 hits, striking out 3 and walking 3. Brett Lee also threw 3 innings, and allowed 1 unearned run, striking out 1. Steven Evans allowed 3 runs in just 1 inning of work, walking 3 and striking out 1. Tyler Herr allowed 1 run in 1 inning of work, giving up a solo home run. He also walked 1. Elizabethton had 7 hits in tonight's game. First baseman Rory Rhodes had 3 hits in 4 at-bats, with a double, a run, 2 RBIs and a walk. Right fielder Candido Pimentel was 2-for-4, designated hitter D.J. Hicks had a double and an RBI in 5 at-bats, and left fielder Romy Jimenez was 1-for-4 with a single. Here's the link to the box score. GCL TWINS 5, GCL ORIOLES 3 Dereck Rodriguez has a pretty famous father (future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez), but he is trying to make a name for himself. The outfielder went 3-3 with a walk in his first game of the season. John Murphy was 1-2 with two walks. Jose Ramirez went 2-4 with a stolen base. Yorman Landa made his first start of the 2012 season. The right-hander threw four no-hit, no-run innings. He walked two and struck out four. Chris Mazza came in and gave up one run on three hits in two innings. He struck out three. Gerardo Ramirez gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in one inning (and he got credit for the win!). Melciades De La Cruz got the save. He struck out four in two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and walked two. --------------------------------------------------- Players of the day for Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Hitter of the Day: Rory Rhodes [ATTACH=CONFIG]1295[/ATTACH] Pitcher of the Day: Edgar Ibarra [ATTACH=CONFIG]1296[/ATTACH] ----------------------------------------- A Look Ahead: Schedule for Wednesday, June 20 Rochester vs. Durham -- RHP Cole De Vries New Britain @ Altoona -- ?? Ft. Myers @ Jupiter -- RHP Madison Boer Elizabethton @ Danville -- RHP Ricardo Arevalo Gulf Coast League Twins vs. Gulf Coast League Rays -- ?? ------------------------------------------- Please leave any questions or comments here, and Seth or I will be happy to respond.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTwQ7QLpoSY/T-B116r2DCI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/fIvgv6MFR3M/s400/Ben.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]If Ben Revere's legacy with the Twins is as a speedy outfielder who was a placeholder until better players developed, that's just fine [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] If you read this blog with any regularity, it's no secret that I'm a Ben Revere supporter. Despite his shortcomings (bad arm and no power to speak of), I still, and probably always will, maintain that Revere can be a useful and productive player for the Twins. It's important to recognize that, since returning to the Twins after a stint at AAA Rochester, Revere has been pretty darn good. As of today, here's his slash line: .328/.353/.397. He has 5 doubles, 2 triples and 9 RBIs in 131 at-bats; he has stolen 11 bases and has been caught only twice. Last year, in 450 at-bats, he had 9 doubles -- so we are seeing slightly more power (also evidenced by the .309 slugging percentage in 2011 compared with the .397 slugging percentage thus far in 2012). Incidentally, if you really want to rag on him for his lack of power, please note that his OPS in 2012 is 5th best on the team (just behind Justin Morneau, and just ahead of Denard Span). As others have mentioned, though, there still is not much power to speak of, and Revere has only drawn 4 walks -- so his on-base percentage is largely dependent on his batting average, which right now is very good. I'll also add to the equation that he has made probably a half-dozen highlight reel catches in this time frame, and that he just turned 24, which means that he will be entering what should be his athletic prime over the next 2-4 seasons. Today, though, I'm thinking about Revere's role in the future of this team. Many people list Revere's shortcomings, especially the facts that his arm is below-average and that he will never hit for power, and suggest that he probably cannot be a long-term starter for a major league team. I admit that there's merit to that. But I pose a different, and more relevant question: can he be a relatively low-cost starter for this team for the next few years? And I think the answer to that question is a resounding "yes." I'm firmly of the belief that the Twins will not be a playoff-caliber team until 2014 at the very, very earliest. Yes, 2012 will probably be better than 2011; and I expect 2013 to be better than 2012. But there is still a long road to travel. If the Twins can trade Denard Span this summer -- which they should if they can get a good package -- the door is open for Revere to establish himself as the Twins' center fielder. Maybe the Twins will get lucky -- perhaps Joe Benson or Aaron Hicks will prove themselves ready for Target Field and will play Revere out of his starting job -- but that's certainly speculative. Hicks, in my opinion, is at least another season out; and who knows how Benson will perform once he overcomes the wrist injury that is currently sidelining him. For now, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, Revere might be the Twins' best option. Very rarely does a player come along with the complete package. And no one would suggest that Revere is such a player. But, if you agree with me that the Twins are traversing down a road to recovery that could take 3-4 years, what difference does it make if Revere is lacking in a few tools? The real focus should be on the Twins improving each year as prospects mature, and if Ben Revere is nothing more than a placeholder for 2 years -- at a total cost of under $2 million -- until Hicks or Benson plays him out of a job, I'd be fine with that, especially if the Twins can get a good return for Span in order to facilitate this move. I'm not really treading any new ground today, except for noting -- primarily for the benefit of the Revere detractors -- that it really doesn't matter if Revere is an All-Star caliber outfielder in 2012 or 2013. He's by no means a bad player, and for the Twins right now -- and in the short-term future -- that just might be good enough.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTwQ7QLpoSY/T-B116r2DCI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/fIvgv6MFR3M/s400/Ben.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]If Ben Revere's legacy with the Twins is as a speedy outfielder who was a placeholder until better players developed, that's just fine [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] If you read this blog with any regularity, it's no secret that I'm a Ben Revere supporter. Despite his shortcomings (bad arm and no power to speak of), I still, and probably always will, maintain that Revere can be a useful and productive player for the Twins. It's important to recognize that, since returning to the Twins after a stint at AAA Rochester, Revere has been pretty darn good. As of today, here's his slash line: .328/.353/.397. He has 5 doubles, 2 triples and 9 RBIs in 131 at-bats; he has stolen 11 bases and has been caught only twice. Last year, in 450 at-bats, he had 9 doubles -- so we are seeing slightly more power (also evidenced by the .309 slugging percentage in 2011 compared with the .397 slugging percentage thus far in 2012). Incidentally, if you really want to rag on him for his lack of power, please note that his OPS in 2012 is 5th best on the team (just behind Justin Morneau, and just ahead of Denard Span). As others have mentioned, though, there still is not much power to speak of, and Revere has only drawn 4 walks -- so his on-base percentage is largely dependent on his batting average, which right now is very good. I'll also add to the equation that he has made probably a half-dozen highlight reel catches in this time frame, and that he just turned 24, which means that he will be entering what should be his athletic prime over the next 2-4 seasons. Today, though, I'm thinking about Revere's role in the future of this team. Many people list Revere's shortcomings, especially the facts that his arm is below-average and that he will never hit for power, and suggest that he probably cannot be a long-term starter for a major league team. I admit that there's merit to that. But I pose a different, and more relevant question: can he be a relatively low-cost starter for this team for the next few years? And I think the answer to that question is a resounding "yes." I'm firmly of the belief that the Twins will not be a playoff-caliber team until 2014 at the very, very earliest. Yes, 2012 will probably be better than 2011; and I expect 2013 to be better than 2012. But there is still a long road to travel. If the Twins can trade Denard Span this summer -- which they should if they can get a good package -- the door is open for Revere to establish himself as the Twins' center fielder. Maybe the Twins will get lucky -- perhaps Joe Benson or Aaron Hicks will prove themselves ready for Target Field and will play Revere out of his starting job -- but that's certainly speculative. Hicks, in my opinion, is at least another season out; and who knows how Benson will perform once he overcomes the wrist injury that is currently sidelining him. For now, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, Revere might be the Twins' best option. Very rarely does a player come along with the complete package. And no one would suggest that Revere is such a player. But, if you agree with me that the Twins are traversing down a road to recovery that could take 3-4 years, what difference does it make if Revere is lacking in a few tools? The real focus should be on the Twins improving each year as prospects mature, and if Ben Revere is nothing more than a placeholder for 2 years -- at a total cost of under $2 million -- until Hicks or Benson plays him out of a job, I'd be fine with that, especially if the Twins can get a good return for Span in order to facilitate this move. I'm not really treading any new ground today, except for noting -- primarily for the benefit of the Revere detractors -- that it really doesn't matter if Revere is an All-Star caliber outfielder in 2012 or 2013. He's by no means a bad player, and for the Twins right now -- and in the short-term future -- that just might be good enough.

Good read, Bark's. I wrote on a somewhat similar topic this winter if you care to have a read: http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com/2012/01/sabermetrics-and-plain-meaning-rule.html In general, I'm all for any stat that helps fans understand the game better, and more power to you if stats are a main reason that you enjoy baseball. But for me, the old fashioned batting slash line does a pretty good job enabling me to compare hitters most of the time.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7zyBGQ0B484/T99Jtvy1YhI/AAAAAAAAAa4/8f049vuGD8A/s320/Nishi.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]The look of a displaced man who will never again see Target Field [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For purposes of this post, I need to start of with 2 limitations: First, I'm thinking about players in the upper levels of the minor leagues that have yet to "make it" with the Twins in any real sense of that phrase. I'll exclude from this discussion Brian Dozier, Chris Parmelee and Darin Mastroianni, because they are all playing for the Twins right now, and Sean Burroughs, because he is too old to be a legitimate prospect. Second, for simplicity, I'm just going to look at batting average. I have linked to each player's stats, so you can explore in greater depth their production this season. Although I recognize that things like on-base percentage and OPS are also great measurements -- perhaps even better indicators of batting prowess -- I'm just focusing today on these position players' ability to hit for average. With those caveats . . . where is the offense in the upper levels of the Twins minor league system? Let's start in Rochester. Right now, the Red Wings' highest batting average comes from Matt Carson, who is going to turn 31 in less than a month and is batting .296. It's a pretty steep drop after that. Ray Chang (turning 29 in August) and Pedro Florimon (25 years old) are batting .248. Wilkin Ramirez, 26 and with major league experience, is hitting .242. And possibly the worst stats come from two players Twins fans wish they could be counting on in 2012: Danny Valencia is hitting .238, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka is batting .223. Finally, remember Brian Dinkelman? Hitting .186. Based on the player age and level of experience, it might be a safe bet to call Pedro Florimon our best hitting "prospect" at AAA right now. The circumstances in New Britain are better, but not by leaps and bounds. James Beresford, 23 years old and teetering around .300 last week, is hitting a respectable and solid .286. Nathan Hanson, 25, is hitting .279. Both players have been very hot the past couple weeks, raising their averages by 20 points or so. Catcher Chris Herrmann, 24, has been streaky this year, and is currently at an even .260. Deibinson Romero, 25, has shown power, and is batting .250. Aaron Hicks, only 22, is hitting .244 and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. Finally, Evan Bigley, 25, is hitting .234. In terms of legitimate prospects and batting production, I might order the top few AA players Herrmann, Hicks, Beresford and Romero -- based on what they have done this season. I have omitted some players, but none that have impressive offensive stats or are young enough to be considered legitimate major league prospects. The bottom line is that, midway through the 2012 season, there isn't a AA or AAA player batting .300 (incidentally, the highest OPS at AA is Romero's .769; at AAA it is Carson's .825). This post isn't intended to be an indictment on the Twins' farm system as much as it is a quick evaluation of where our best hitters are. And the answer to that question appears to be the lower levels of the minors. Just today, Oswaldo Arcia was promoted to New Britain. Hopefully he can inject some life into the recently sputtering Rock Cats offense. I'm hoping his .309/.376/.517 line at Ft. Myers can carry over into central Connecticut.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7zyBGQ0B484/T99Jtvy1YhI/AAAAAAAAAa4/8f049vuGD8A/s320/Nishi.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]The look of a displaced man who will never again see Target Field [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] For purposes of this post, I need to start of with 2 limitations: First, I'm thinking about players in the upper levels of the minor leagues that have yet to "make it" with the Twins in any real sense of that phrase. I'll exclude from this discussion Brian Dozier, Chris Parmelee and Darin Mastroianni, because they are all playing for the Twins right now, and Sean Burroughs, because he is too old to be a legitimate prospect. Second, for simplicity, I'm just going to look at batting average. I have linked to each player's stats, so you can explore in greater depth their production this season. Although I recognize that things like on-base percentage and OPS are also great measurements -- perhaps even better indicators of batting prowess -- I'm just focusing today on these position players' ability to hit for average. With those caveats . . . where is the offense in the upper levels of the Twins minor league system? Let's start in Rochester. Right now, the Red Wings' highest batting average comes from Matt Carson, who is going to turn 31 in less than a month and is batting .296. It's a pretty steep drop after that. Ray Chang (turning 29 in August) and Pedro Florimon (25 years old) are batting .248. Wilkin Ramirez, 26 and with major league experience, is hitting .242. And possibly the worst stats come from two players Twins fans wish they could be counting on in 2012: Danny Valencia is hitting .238, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka is batting .223. Finally, remember Brian Dinkelman? Hitting .186. Based on the player age and level of experience, it might be a safe bet to call Pedro Florimon our best hitting "prospect" at AAA right now. The circumstances in New Britain are better, but not by leaps and bounds. James Beresford, 23 years old and teetering around .300 last week, is hitting a respectable and solid .286. Nathan Hanson, 25, is hitting .279. Both players have been very hot the past couple weeks, raising their averages by 20 points or so. Catcher Chris Herrmann, 24, has been streaky this year, and is currently at an even .260. Deibinson Romero, 25, has shown power, and is batting .250. Aaron Hicks, only 22, is hitting .244 and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. Finally, Evan Bigley, 25, is hitting .234. In terms of legitimate prospects and batting production, I might order the top few AA players Herrmann, Hicks, Beresford and Romero -- based on what they have done this season. I have omitted some players, but none that have impressive offensive stats or are young enough to be considered legitimate major league prospects. The bottom line is that, midway through the 2012 season, there isn't a AA or AAA player batting .300 (incidentally, the highest OPS at AA is Romero's .769; at AAA it is Carson's .825). This post isn't intended to be an indictment on the Twins' farm system as much as it is a quick evaluation of where our best hitters are. And the answer to that question appears to be the lower levels of the minors. Just today, Oswaldo Arcia was promoted to New Britain. Hopefully he can inject some life into the recently sputtering Rock Cats offense. I'm hoping his .309/.376/.517 line at Ft. Myers can carry over into central Connecticut.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0f2g-yolc8c/T9sp3Sj_8JI/AAAAAAAAAak/dyMpB6xgVLs/s320/Hanson.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Player of the Game: Minnesota's Own Nathan Hanson, who dramatically raised his batting average last night [/TD] [/TABLE] http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com [Originally published, with more pictures, at Twins Fan From Afar] I stayed for all 12 innings of last night's 3-2 loss to the Akron Aeros. It was a picture-perfect night for baseball, but by hour 4 of baseball, the crowd was probably only 100 in number. If there's one takeaway from this game -- one reason New Britain lost -- it's simply a result of an almost complete failure to drive in runners in scoring position. Despite the fact that the Rock Cats tallied 14 hits in the contest, they scored only 2 runs, and most glaringly, they were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Yes, there were some hard line drives that were caught, and some smashed grounders that just failed to make it past the Akron infielders, but mostly this team just couldn't get a base hit when it mattered. Brett Jacobson had a solid start. He allowed 2 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. His control was very good up until he tired. Notably, Jacobson struck out 6, including the side in the second inning. He had walked only one going into the 6th inning, but then quickly unraveled after recording one out in the 6th. After he walked two consecutive batters, that was it for him. He must have been on a pretty short leash. In all honesty, though, after looking fine in the 5th, he looked gassed in the 6th. The stadium radar gun had his fastball around 92, and I saw it register at 93 a couple times. His curveball was effective tonight, as well. Bobby Lanigan was good out of the bullpen, allowing no hits in 2 and 2/3 innings. Bruce Pugh was wild, walking 2 in 2 innings, but he didn't allow a run. Although he didn't pitch badly, Luis Perdomo took a tough loss: a single, stolen base, and another single scored what would turn out to be the winning run for Akron in the top of inning 12. The Rock Cats' offense was a mixed bag. Let's start out with the star performer last night, Minnesotan Nathan Hanson. He was 5-for-6, and was a home run away from the cycle. Hanson is now batting a respectable .274 on the year. In the bottom of the 10th, with one out, Hanson hit a long fly ball to left field. In many ballparks this might have been a home run. At New Britain Stadium, though, where the wall is approximately 15 feet high all the way around, this resulted in a triple after it hit about 10 feet high on the wall. Hanson was at third, and represented the winning run, with only one out. Unfortunately, Chris Colabello -- who actually is leading the entire Eastern League in RBIs -- grounded out to the pitcher, and after Chris Herrmann was intentionally walked, Mark Dolenc took a called third strike to end the threat. The other "problem" -- if you can call it that, is that, aside from Hanson's double and triple, there were no extra base hits. The Rock Cats have several players capable of hitting home runs and doubles at any given time, but the team couldn't get big hits, especially hits that would have cleared the bases, when it counted. Deibinson Romero did have 2 hits, as did Rene Tosoni. Tosoni, however, is only batting .210 thus far on the season for New Britain. Australian prospect James Beresford had a single in 5 trips, and is batting .286 on the year. The Rock Cats finish up a week-long homestand this weekend, playing a series against the Erie Seawolves, the Tigers' affiliate. After losing 2 of 3 to the Aeros, who own the best record in the Eastern League, the Rock Cats are in 3rd place, but are just 2 games back of the Trenton Thunder, who currently sit atop the division. This would be a good weekend for New Britain to pick up some ground at home, before the team hits the road again. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend, so I would expect big crowds at the ballpark.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0f2g-yolc8c/T9sp3Sj_8JI/AAAAAAAAAak/dyMpB6xgVLs/s320/Hanson.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Player of the Game: Minnesota's Own Nathan Hanson, who dramatically raised his batting average last night [/TD] [/TABLE] http://twinsfanfromafar.blogspot.com [Originally published, with more pictures, at Twins Fan From Afar] I stayed for all 12 innings of last night's 3-2 loss to the Akron Aeros. It was a picture-perfect night for baseball, but by hour 4 of baseball, the crowd was probably only 100 in number. If there's one takeaway from this game -- one reason New Britain lost -- it's simply a result of an almost complete failure to drive in runners in scoring position. Despite the fact that the Rock Cats tallied 14 hits in the contest, they scored only 2 runs, and most glaringly, they were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Yes, there were some hard line drives that were caught, and some smashed grounders that just failed to make it past the Akron infielders, but mostly this team just couldn't get a base hit when it mattered. Brett Jacobson had a solid start. He allowed 2 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. His control was very good up until he tired. Notably, Jacobson struck out 6, including the side in the second inning. He had walked only one going into the 6th inning, but then quickly unraveled after recording one out in the 6th. After he walked two consecutive batters, that was it for him. He must have been on a pretty short leash. In all honesty, though, after looking fine in the 5th, he looked gassed in the 6th. The stadium radar gun had his fastball around 92, and I saw it register at 93 a couple times. His curveball was effective tonight, as well. Bobby Lanigan was good out of the bullpen, allowing no hits in 2 and 2/3 innings. Bruce Pugh was wild, walking 2 in 2 innings, but he didn't allow a run. Although he didn't pitch badly, Luis Perdomo took a tough loss: a single, stolen base, and another single scored what would turn out to be the winning run for Akron in the top of inning 12. The Rock Cats' offense was a mixed bag. Let's start out with the star performer last night, Minnesotan Nathan Hanson. He was 5-for-6, and was a home run away from the cycle. Hanson is now batting a respectable .274 on the year. In the bottom of the 10th, with one out, Hanson hit a long fly ball to left field. In many ballparks this might have been a home run. At New Britain Stadium, though, where the wall is approximately 15 feet high all the way around, this resulted in a triple after it hit about 10 feet high on the wall. Hanson was at third, and represented the winning run, with only one out. Unfortunately, Chris Colabello -- who actually is leading the entire Eastern League in RBIs -- grounded out to the pitcher, and after Chris Herrmann was intentionally walked, Mark Dolenc took a called third strike to end the threat. The other "problem" -- if you can call it that, is that, aside from Hanson's double and triple, there were no extra base hits. The Rock Cats have several players capable of hitting home runs and doubles at any given time, but the team couldn't get big hits, especially hits that would have cleared the bases, when it counted. Deibinson Romero did have 2 hits, as did Rene Tosoni. Tosoni, however, is only batting .210 thus far on the season for New Britain. Australian prospect James Beresford had a single in 5 trips, and is batting .286 on the year. The Rock Cats finish up a week-long homestand this weekend, playing a series against the Erie Seawolves, the Tigers' affiliate. After losing 2 of 3 to the Aeros, who own the best record in the Eastern League, the Rock Cats are in 3rd place, but are just 2 games back of the Trenton Thunder, who currently sit atop the division. This would be a good weekend for New Britain to pick up some ground at home, before the team hits the road again. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend, so I would expect big crowds at the ballpark.

Hicks is injured. I will try to find out more. Not in the lineup tonight.

I fully admit to having read, and loved, the Border Trilogy about 10 years ago. But I don't recall Hrbie having a cameo, either.

Ha! his sentences are longer though .

"Trevor," I said, as our horses struggled to navigate the rocky terrain, "who is that riding off to the west?" Never in a hurry it seems, he took a breath and sighed slowly, peering off toward the amber sunset, perhaps thinking of past loves, the war, or the family he had left back home in search of something greater. After an eternity had passed, I began to notice a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Yes, I was sure now: he knew that stranger in the distance. Trevor let out a knowning laugh, then spit his tobacco juice onto the parched ground, creating a sea of reds and browns so deep and rich in hue that I was brought back to our border crossing last spring -- a time when things were easier, simpler. "That," he said with a rye grin, "is Kent Hrbek." "And," he added, before riding away, "it had better be a strong horse."

The international stuff really seems to be coming into its own as a crucial part of scouting. So here's a question -- maybe it's been asked before and maybe not: If Miguel Sano had been Rule 4 draft-eligible in 2012, or 2011 (let's just say he was from Chicago, for instance), what kind of round selection would he have been? Tough to say, I imagine, but I'm just curious what some of you more "in the know" than I am would guess.

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VpyaVwgwQR4/T9nYAsHhVWI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/dhKcCUah9V0/s320/Hammer.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Josh Willingham: Trade Bait? [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading various posts from other bloggers concerning the Twins' potential trade chips. Names like Denard Span, Matt Capps and Francisco Liriano keep coming up. If nothing else, the speculation is interesting, but, like others, I do think it's a little early to be sending players away; if the Twins do become sellers, ideally I'd like to see them wait until a contending team is very desperate for help, and then begin negotiations from that starting point. There's another name that I keep reading as a possible trade chip: Josh Willingham. Willingham has been nothing short of fantastic for the Twins this season, and his offense has essentially made up for his below-average defense (hey, we hired the bat, knowing that the glove came with it, right?). After last night's game, Willingham leads the Twins in runs (37), home runs (13), RBIs (44), and is batting .290 and getting on base at a .405 clip. Here's his ESPN stat sheet if you want more info. He has replaced Michael Cuddyer as the Twins' right-handed power bat, and then some. As the weather heats up, and June becomes July, Terry Ryan almost certainly will get phone calls from organizations looking for a power bat down the stretch. Willingham has made Target Field look small; imagine what he could do in a hitters' park? I have no doubt that Willingham could be a key acquisition for a team looking to stock up for a summer run. But when he gets those phone calls, Ryan should hang up the phone, and here's just one reason why: trading Willingham in the first half of his first season as a Twin would send the wrong message to future free agents that the Twins will need to acquire down the road. Willingham's 3-year, $21 million contract is the largest ever free agent contract handed out by the Twins. Simply stated, signing (relatively) expensive free agents that came up in other organizations is not the way the Twins do business. Willingham's contract was an aberration to the Twins' traditional business model. Unfortunately, though, that model probably is going to have to change. With payroll set to come off the books for 2013, and with many vacancies in the pitching rotation -- and few current, reliable in-house options -- Terry Ryan is going to have to sign at least one legitimate free agent starting pitcher to help anchor the rotation in 2013 and beyond. And that's just one area of need. If the Twins trade Willingham this summer for anything less than a Matt Capps-for-Wilson Ramos haul, it sends the message to future free agent acquisitions that the Twins will deal you in a heartbeat if things go south. Yes, we all hoped the Twins would be much better in 2012 than they were in 2011, and that hasn't exactly been the case. But if I am the agent for a player set to become a free agent after this season, and I am fielding calls from the Twins, who recently traded away Willingham after only 1/6 of his contract, my first question to Terry Ryan is "what kind of security can you provide for my client?" In short, my worry is that the Twins will create reputation that could complicate future deals, simply because they do not have an established track record with longer-term free agent contracts with players from other organizations. Yes, I know that baseball is a business -- often a dirty business behind closed doors. Fans see the green grass, the chalk lines, the uniforms, and that's about it. They don't see the negotiations, the holdouts, and the underpaid minor leaguers living 6 in an apartment with 1 Foreman grill between them. The point here is that the Twins don't exactly have an established history of handing out multi-year, multi-million dollar free agent contracts, and a short tenure for Willingham in Minnesota could spell trouble for future deals. If I'm that free agent pitcher deciding between clubs, I either need more money from Minnesota, knowing that they might dump me in my first season, or protection in the form of a no-trade clause, in order for a deal to happen. This isn't about hurt feelings from players being dealt; it's about business and security -- and players care about those things. This all might be a moot point, anyway. I simply don't see the Twins dealing Willingham this season. The organization is very fond of players of Willingham's ilk. And just think of what the team's record would be right now without The Hammer?

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VpyaVwgwQR4/T9nYAsHhVWI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/dhKcCUah9V0/s320/Hammer.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Josh Willingham: Trade Bait? [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed reading various posts from other bloggers concerning the Twins' potential trade chips. Names like Denard Span, Matt Capps and Francisco Liriano keep coming up. If nothing else, the speculation is interesting, but, like others, I do think it's a little early to be sending players away; if the Twins do become sellers, ideally I'd like to see them wait until a contending team is very desperate for help, and then begin negotiations from that starting point. There's another name that I keep reading as a possible trade chip: Josh Willingham. Willingham has been nothing short of fantastic for the Twins this season, and his offense has essentially made up for his below-average defense (hey, we hired the bat, knowing that the glove came with it, right?). After last night's game, Willingham leads the Twins in runs (37), home runs (13), RBIs (44), and is batting .290 and getting on base at a .405 clip. Here's his ESPN stat sheet if you want more info. He has replaced Michael Cuddyer as the Twins' right-handed power bat, and then some. As the weather heats up, and June becomes July, Terry Ryan almost certainly will get phone calls from organizations looking for a power bat down the stretch. Willingham has made Target Field look small; imagine what he could do in a hitters' park? I have no doubt that Willingham could be a key acquisition for a team looking to stock up for a summer run. But when he gets those phone calls, Ryan should hang up the phone, and here's just one reason why: trading Willingham in the first half of his first season as a Twin would send the wrong message to future free agents that the Twins will need to acquire down the road. Willingham's 3-year, $21 million contract is the largest ever free agent contract handed out by the Twins. Simply stated, signing (relatively) expensive free agents that came up in other organizations is not the way the Twins do business. Willingham's contract was an aberration to the Twins' traditional business model. Unfortunately, though, that model probably is going to have to change. With payroll set to come off the books for 2013, and with many vacancies in the pitching rotation -- and few current, reliable in-house options -- Terry Ryan is going to have to sign at least one legitimate free agent starting pitcher to help anchor the rotation in 2013 and beyond. And that's just one area of need. If the Twins trade Willingham this summer for anything less than a Matt Capps-for-Wilson Ramos haul, it sends the message to future free agent acquisitions that the Twins will deal you in a heartbeat if things go south. Yes, we all hoped the Twins would be much better in 2012 than they were in 2011, and that hasn't exactly been the case. But if I am the agent for a player set to become a free agent after this season, and I am fielding calls from the Twins, who recently traded away Willingham after only 1/6 of his contract, my first question to Terry Ryan is "what kind of security can you provide for my client?" In short, my worry is that the Twins will create reputation that could complicate future deals, simply because they do not have an established track record with longer-term free agent contracts with players from other organizations. Yes, I know that baseball is a business -- often a dirty business behind closed doors. Fans see the green grass, the chalk lines, the uniforms, and that's about it. They don't see the negotiations, the holdouts, and the underpaid minor leaguers living 6 in an apartment with 1 Foreman grill between them. The point here is that the Twins don't exactly have an established history of handing out multi-year, multi-million dollar free agent contracts, and a short tenure for Willingham in Minnesota could spell trouble for future deals. If I'm that free agent pitcher deciding between clubs, I either need more money from Minnesota, knowing that they might dump me in my first season, or protection in the form of a no-trade clause, in order for a deal to happen. This isn't about hurt feelings from players being dealt; it's about business and security -- and players care about those things. This all might be a moot point, anyway. I simply don't see the Twins dealing Willingham this season. The organization is very fond of players of Willingham's ilk. And just think of what the team's record would be right now without The Hammer?

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?656-Wednesday-s-Twins-Minor-League-Daily

The Twins, looking to continue a pretty good stretch of baseball, started off rough. Starter P.J. Walters lasted only into the first inning, and his velocity was reportedly way down. Walters (or the coaching staff) put the Twins in a hole, and I'm curious what the post-game reports are going to indicate regarding Walters' health to start the game in the first place. Jim Thome hit another mammoth home run at Target Field, an estimated 466 feet. Even at 41 years of age, he still has something left in the tank! If you like offense, this ended up being a very good game, and the Twins proved that they have some comeback in them. As I write this, the Twins have almost come all the way back, trailing 9-8 after being down 6-0 after the top of the first. Let's take a look at how the Future Twins did tonight. ROCHESTER -- day off. NEW BRITAIN 3, AKRON 1 (Game 1 -- 7 innings) This game started and ended with pitching. Starter Steve Hirschfeld had an excellent outing. In 6 innings of work, Hirschfeld allowed only 3 hits and 1 run, and struck out 8 and walked 1. Caleb Thielbar earned the save, his 4th of the season, striking out 2. Thielbar's AA ERA is a tidy 1.96. There wasn't a whole lot of offense in this game. The Rock Cats had 6 hits on the night. Minnesota's own Nathan Hanson had 2 hits and a sacrifice fly, and had 2 RBIs on the day. Deibinson Romero also had 2 hits. Matt Rizzotti and Chris Colabello each had singles for the Rock Cats. Rene Tosoni had an RBI ground out. Here's the link to the box score. NEW BRITAIN 1, AKRON 4 (Game 2 -- 7 innings) Although he gave up a first inning solo home run and took the loss, starter Logan Darnell pitched pretty well. In 4 and 2/3 innings of work, Darnell gave up just that 1 run on 2 hits. Control was a problem, though: Darnell walked 4 and struck out 5. Daniel Turpen wasn't effective out of the bullpen, allowing 3 runs and 3 walks in 2 innings of work. He only gave up 1 hit. Blake Martin gave up a double, allowing 2 inherited runs to score, but secured the final out of the 7th for New Britain. There was very little offense in this game, as well. Daniel Rohlfing, recently called up (in place of injured Danny Lehmann) had a double in 2 at-bats, Mark Dolenc, Evan Bigley and Chris Colabello singled, and Chris Herrmann had a pinch-hit single. The lone run scored on Bigley's single. That was it. Here's the link to the box score. The teams play again tomorrow night, and I'll be in attendance at New Britain Stadium. Be sure to check back Friday morning at Twins Fan From Afar for a "beyond the box score" post and some pictures. FT. MYERS 8, BRADENTON 4 This was a "staff day" for the Miracle. Matthew Hauser, normally a reliever, got the start, and went 3 innings, giving up only 1 hit and striking out 3. Nelvin Fuentes tossed 2 innings and gave up 2 runs, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. Edgar Ibarra also threw 2 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs, also striking out 3. Daniel Sattler threw 2 scoreless innings, striking out 2 and walking 2. The Miracle racked up 12 hits tonight, and it was a team effort, with 8 of the 9 starters getting at least 1 hit. Third baseman Anderson Hidalgo was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, second baseman Andy Leer had 2 singles and an RBI, first baseman Lance Ray had 2 hits, including a double, and an RBI. Daniel Ortiz, Josmil Pinto, Oswaldo Arica and Michael Gonzales each had hits, as well. The big hit of the night came off the bat of Angel Morales -- a 3-run home run. Here's the link to the box score. BELOIT 1, PEORIA 7 Steven Gruver started for the Snappers tonight, and went 3 and 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 6 runs (4 earned) , striking out 3 and walking 2. Tim Shibuya was better out of the bullpen, tossing 2 and 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out 2 along the way. Ryan O'Rourke threw 2 innings and gave up 1 run on 2 hits, including a solo home run. He struck out 1 and walked 1. Miguel Sano had his 22nd error of the season tonight. There was only 1 extra-base hit for the Snappers tonight, a double by right fielder JaDamion Williams. Wang-Wei Lin, Sano, Matthew Koch, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen all singled. Pettersen and Sano also walked. Here's the link to the box score. ------------------------------------------ Wednesday's TwinsDaily Pitcher and Hitter of the Day Pitcher of the Day: Steve Hirschfeld [ATTACH=CONFIG]1224[/ATTACH] Hitter of the Day: Anderson Hidalgo [ATTACH=CONFIG]1225[/ATTACH] ------------------------------------------- Schedule for Thursday, June 14, 2012 Rochester @ Louisville --- ??? New Britain vs. Akron --- RHP Brett Jacobson Ft. Myers vs. Bradenton --- LHP Pat Dean Beloit vs. Peoria --- ??? ------------------------------------------ Please leave any questions or comments here, and either Seth or I will try to answer.

Funny enough, Butera was there. We showed up when the event started, and he was already there (drinking on Morneau's tab, probably!). First to show up, last to leave! I honestly wouldn't have recognized Gray.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aMemKtf968U/T9f-NpEqI0I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/po5xFNvjzMY/s400/Baseball+025.JPG [Originally published with more pictures at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive year, my wife and I made the flight to Minnesota for Justin Morneau's Casino Night. It's a charity event for the Arthritis Foundation -- specifically, juvenile arthritis (Justin's niece suffers from juvenile arthritis). It's part of the Twins week of hope. Instead of hitting up a couple games at Target Field this year, we opted for this event instead, held at International Market Square, just a few blocks from Target Field. The Twins might not be very good this year, or even next year, but if there is one thing this organization does well, it is being active in the community and using celebrity to raise awareness and money for worthy causes. Yes, all sports teams do this stuff. But, as I have mentioned before, good luck meeting Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez for under $1,000 per person, and good luck having a beer with David Ortiz in Boston for under $500. The Twins are accessible and in the community. In my mind, this event costs about as much as good seats to 2 Twins games, and quite frankly, I'd rather have a guaranteed good time at Casino Night. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Tjs7gXQZlE/T9f8aVYQFvI/AAAAAAAAAZU/zaXwKWxJYXo/s320/Baseball+011.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Justin Morneau appears unscathed despite narrowly avoiding an Amstel Light [/TD] [/TABLE] This picture with Morneau was taken about 20 seconds after my wife accidentally knocked a full beer off the card table and onto the ground, just next to Morneau's feet. He was a good sport, mentioning that he'll forget about the the fact that his tux smells like beer until next June when he pulls it out of the plastic bag again. This year, I've been doing a lot of Rock Cats stuff, and was looking forward to meeting Brian Dozier, whom I had watched several times last season but had never met. Yes, he's been up and down this season with respect to his defensive and offensive performances, and yes, there are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but I do believe that he's the Twins' shortstop of the future. Also, he's an exceedingly nice human being. From speaking to loyal Rock Cats fans, I can tell you that he has not, and likely will not, forget where he came from. Joe Mauer was a pretty big draw. Women, especially, wanted to congratulate him on his engagement. This was the first time that I met him in person, and I'm still shocked he doesn't hit for more power: the guy is huge -- even compared to the other players there. As you have probably read 1,000 times, Mauer was extremely nice to EVERYONE that wanted to talk to him. We spoke for about 5 minutes, and he asked me for an update on Alex Wimmers' progress after I told him where I lived and that I followed the Rock Cats players pretty closely. It was a really fun night. The food was good, the silent and live auction items were great, the beer and wine were flowing, and most of the Twins players -- the ones you would want to meet, anyway -- were there.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aMemKtf968U/T9f-NpEqI0I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/po5xFNvjzMY/s400/Baseball+025.JPG [Originally published with more pictures at Twins Fan From Afar] For the second consecutive year, my wife and I made the flight to Minnesota for Justin Morneau's Casino Night. It's a charity event for the Arthritis Foundation -- specifically, juvenile arthritis (Justin's niece suffers from juvenile arthritis). It's part of the Twins week of hope. Instead of hitting up a couple games at Target Field this year, we opted for this event instead, held at International Market Square, just a few blocks from Target Field. The Twins might not be very good this year, or even next year, but if there is one thing this organization does well, it is being active in the community and using celebrity to raise awareness and money for worthy causes. Yes, all sports teams do this stuff. But, as I have mentioned before, good luck meeting Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez for under $1,000 per person, and good luck having a beer with David Ortiz in Boston for under $500. The Twins are accessible and in the community. In my mind, this event costs about as much as good seats to 2 Twins games, and quite frankly, I'd rather have a guaranteed good time at Casino Night. [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Tjs7gXQZlE/T9f8aVYQFvI/AAAAAAAAAZU/zaXwKWxJYXo/s320/Baseball+011.JPG [TD=class: tr-caption]Justin Morneau appears unscathed despite narrowly avoiding an Amstel Light [/TD] [/TABLE] This picture with Morneau was taken about 20 seconds after my wife accidentally knocked a full beer off the card table and onto the ground, just next to Morneau's feet. He was a good sport, mentioning that he'll forget about the the fact that his tux smells like beer until next June when he pulls it out of the plastic bag again. This year, I've been doing a lot of Rock Cats stuff, and was looking forward to meeting Brian Dozier, whom I had watched several times last season but had never met. Yes, he's been up and down this season with respect to his defensive and offensive performances, and yes, there are going to be bumps and bruises along the way, but I do believe that he's the Twins' shortstop of the future. Also, he's an exceedingly nice human being. From speaking to loyal Rock Cats fans, I can tell you that he has not, and likely will not, forget where he came from. Joe Mauer was a pretty big draw. Women, especially, wanted to congratulate him on his engagement. This was the first time that I met him in person, and I'm still shocked he doesn't hit for more power: the guy is huge -- even compared to the other players there. As you have probably read 1,000 times, Mauer was extremely nice to EVERYONE that wanted to talk to him. We spoke for about 5 minutes, and he asked me for an update on Alex Wimmers' progress after I told him where I lived and that I followed the Rock Cats players pretty closely. It was a really fun night. The food was good, the silent and live auction items were great, the beer and wine were flowing, and most of the Twins players -- the ones you would want to meet, anyway -- were there.

Good list, Seth. I don't see what the rush is to move Sano off of third base, especially this season -- his first of professional baseball. Yes, most everyone seems to think he'll outgrow it, but he's young enough that I think he should be given a better chance to fill this position of need.