Twins Fan From Afar

I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend! All of the affiliates were in action today and this evening, and the Twins lost a tough one to the Tigers. There was some roster news, if you haven't heard it: Erik Komatsu was designated for assignment, and Jeff Manship joined the Twins. Best of luck to Komatsu in his professional career, and to Manship, as well. Additionally, starting pitcher David Bromberg was promoted from the AA Rock Cats to AAA Rochester. Congratulations to him! Let's take a look at what happened down on the farm today. ROCHESTER 0, GWINNETT 1 Brendan Wise started for the Red Wings today (best described as a spot start, because Manship was scheduled to start before his promotion), and threw 3 innings. He gave up 5 hits, struck out 3 and walked 1, surrendering no runs. Carlos Gutierrez tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief, striking out 2. Casey Fein was charged with the loss, giving up 1 run 2 hits in 2 innings. He struck out 2. Tyler Robertson threw a scoreless 8th. In all, the pitching performances were very good -- only 7 total hits, 7 Ks and 1 walk. On offense, it's safe to say that hits came at a premium for the Red Wings. There were only 3 all day: a single by shortstop Pedro Florimon, and 2 hits by Sean Burroughs, a single and a double. The Red Wings walked 0 times today. Danny Valencia was 0-for-4 today, but is batting .268 since his demotion. Tsuyoshi Nishioka, also hitless today, is batting .202 this season. Here's the link for the box score. NEW BRITAIN 5, PORTLAND 8 Logan Darnell got the start for the Rock Cats, and was solid, going 5 and 2/3 innings, giving up 8 hits and allowing 2 runs. He struck out 6 and walked only 1. Bobby Lanigan relieved Darnell, and the wheels came off in the 7th inning. After getting the final out of the 6th, Lanigan allowed 6 consecutive batters to reach to open up the 7th, on 5 hits and a walk, and ended up giving up 5 runs in the 7th, and only got one out in that inning. He threw 2/3 of an inning total. Caleb Thielbar came on in relief. He threw the final 2 outs of the 7th (including a ground out that scored a run charged to Lanigan), but gave up a solo home run in the 8th. In all, Thielbar threw 1 and 2/3 innings, allowed the 1 run, and had no walks or strikeouts. On defense, third baseman Deibinson Romero committed his 6th error of the season. Mirroring a recent trend, the Rock Cats didn't get many hits today; 6, in fact. But, for the second consecutive game, Evan Bigley had a 3 run home run, his 4th in 2012. Deibinson Romero had a solo home run, his 5th of the season. Nathan Hanson had an RBI single, Rene Tosoni had a double, and Aaron Hicks and James Berersford each had a single. Hanson also stole his first base of the season. Here's the link for the box score. FT. MYERS 4, PALM BEACH 1 Pat Dean started for the Miracle today, went 5 innings, gave up 1 run on 3 hits, and issued 1 walk with no strikeouts. His ERA stands at 2.70 on the season. The bullpen was very good today. Kyle Waldorp pitched a scoreless 6th inning, striking out 2 and walking 1; Matthew Hauser tossed 2 scoreless frames, striking out 1 and walking 1; Bruce Pugh picked up his 4th save of the season, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1. In all, the bullpen allowed 1 hit in 4 innings of work. Prospect Oswaldo Arcia had a great day. He was 3-for-3 with a solo home run, his 4th of the season, and 2 singles. He drove in 3 runs and walked in his other plate appearance. Arcia is batting .299 on the season. Daniel Ortiz had an RBI single, which accounted for the Miracle's other run. The other Miracle players with hits today were Daniel Santana, Jairo Perez, Anderson Hidalgo and Andy Leer. All singles. Here's another good stat: Ft. Myers walked 6 times today, including 2 walks by Hidalgo. Here's the link for the box score BELOIT 7, KANE COUNTY 2 Jason Wheeler got the start for the Snappers this evening, and he was great. He went 8 innings. Wheeler gave up 5 hits and 2 runs, striking out 5 and walking only 1 along the way. Corey Williams tossed a scoreless 9th, allowing 1 hit and and striking out 1. On offense, the Snappers banged out 12 hits tonight, and almost all the starters were in on the action. Designated hitter Jonathan Goncalves went 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs. Eddie Rosario was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Shortstop Tyler Grimes was 3-for-3 with a double, and first baseman Adam Bryant was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Miguel Sano had two singles and an RBI, and TwinsDaily's own Adam Pettersen had a single. Here's the link for the box score --------------------------------------- Sunday's Players of the Day Hitter of the Day: Oswaldo Arcia [ATTACH=CONFIG]1055[/ATTACH] Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler [ATTACH=CONFIG]1057[/ATTACH] ----------------------------- Schedule for Monday, May 28, 2012 Rochester @ Charlotte -- RHP David Bromberg New Britain @ Portland -- ??? Beloit @ Kane County -- RHP Matthew Summers ------------------------------ Leave any questions or comments here, and either Seth or I will try to answer them!

Good read. It's tough to imagine the Twins without some of these guys!

[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh-qnf2Rgkk/T799K13-yvI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/tqi1cqrtG-4/s320/SweetMusic.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]As an 8 year old, I couldn't understand why GM Andy MacPhail would trade away Frank "Sweet Music" Viola [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] I recently surpassed it. A couple years ago, in fact. The average age of an MLB player is 28.68 years old. I'll be 31 in a couple months. For every Jamie Moyer helping to increase that figure, there's a Bryce Harper doing just the opposite. For every Cal Ripken, Jr., that holds on for another year and tries to delay the inevitable, there's a Miguel Sano hoping to knock on the door before he turns 21. It really is a machine that, as described in Field of Dreams, has been "the one constant through all the years." It's funny what age does to the way you view the game. In fact, sometimes I even hesitate to call MLB "the game" -- a more apt term might be "the business based around the game." I remember the day that Frank Viola was traded to the Mets. July 31, 1989. I had just turned 8, my family was at the cabin for the week, and I was the biggest Viola fan in the world. One of my parents told me the news. The 8 year old me couldn't understand the practical implications of trading away Viola for, among others, Kevin Tapani and Rick Aguilera, both of whom would go on to have excellent Twins careers. The 8 year old me didn't think in those terms, of course. To a kid, losing a good player -- right in the middle of the season, no less -- made no sense. With the benefit of age, and hopefully a little wisdom, things are somewhat different. I'm still a fan of the game -- of the institution. The older I get, though, I realize that the players, for the most part, come and go. They are well-compensated cogs. Denard Span, for instance, has been a great Minnesota Twin: a solid player; excellent with fans; and the recipient of a relatively team friendly contract. If I was 8, I would probably be crushed if he was traded this season. As a 30 year old, though, part of me is really hoping for it because the Twins would stand to get a couple decent prospects, at least one pitcher, that could help this team for the next several years. I find myself thinking much more about the Twins' future than I did when I was 8, or even 18. Part of that undoubtedly is because the Twins have played so bad this season, but the other part might generally just be a change in the way I think about things. As a kid, or even a teenager, all you really need is a good day-to-day approach in order to get by. Good luck doing that as an adult! If you own a home, work, or ever plan to retire, you had better be forward-thinking and sometimes shrewd in your decisions. I think that's where I am with the Twins now. But it hasn't been a 100 percent shift from the 8 year old me to the 30 year old version. I don't go to too many Twins games, based on where I live, and I actually hadn't seen Joe Mauer play in person until 2010 (not counting when I played against him as a teenager). So I still get excited for Twins games. I still think that there are players, like Mauer for instance, that I just wouldn't want to see traded from the Twins, no matter what the haul. I have a similar feeling for Justin Morneau. And I was still pretty excited this April when Mauer tossed me a game ball at Camden Yards. Things like that don't get old. Now, though, there are just some other ways to appreciate games. Being able to look into some advanced stats has made me appreciate certain facets of the game. As I kid I probably didn't care about anything besides home runs and batting titles. Becoming a fan of the Twins' minor league system has also been great. And I would add blogging to this list, as well: being able to communicate about baseball to hundreds of other fans is pretty cool. But part of me -- probably a large part -- is still pretty similar to that 8 year old fan who probably said some pretty awful things about Andy MacPhail in late July, 1989. The 30 year old me is just as much a Twins fan, but hopefully a little wiser, and soon will need to seriously consider wearing sunscreen on the top of his head when he heads out to a ballgame.

[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jh-qnf2Rgkk/T799K13-yvI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/tqi1cqrtG-4/s320/SweetMusic.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]As an 8 year old, I couldn't understand why GM Andy MacPhail would trade away Frank "Sweet Music" Viola [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] I recently surpassed it. A couple years ago, in fact. The average age of an MLB player is 28.68 years old. I'll be 31 in a couple months. For every Jamie Moyer helping to increase that figure, there's a Bryce Harper doing just the opposite. For every Cal Ripken, Jr., that holds on for another year and tries to delay the inevitable, there's a Miguel Sano hoping to knock on the door before he turns 21. It really is a machine that, as described in Field of Dreams, has been "the one constant through all the years." It's funny what age does to the way you view the game. In fact, sometimes I even hesitate to call MLB "the game" -- a more apt term might be "the business based around the game." I remember the day that Frank Viola was traded to the Mets. July 31, 1989. I had just turned 8, my family was at the cabin for the week, and I was the biggest Viola fan in the world. One of my parents told me the news. The 8 year old me couldn't understand the practical implications of trading away Viola for, among others, Kevin Tapani and Rick Aguilera, both of whom would go on to have excellent Twins careers. The 8 year old me didn't think in those terms, of course. To a kid, losing a good player -- right in the middle of the season, no less -- made no sense. With the benefit of age, and hopefully a little wisdom, things are somewhat different. I'm still a fan of the game -- of the institution. The older I get, though, I realize that the players, for the most part, come and go. They are well-compensated cogs. Denard Span, for instance, has been a great Minnesota Twin: a solid player; excellent with fans; and the recipient of a relatively team friendly contract. If I was 8, I would probably be crushed if he was traded this season. As a 30 year old, though, part of me is really hoping for it because the Twins would stand to get a couple decent prospects, at least one pitcher, that could help this team for the next several years. I find myself thinking much more about the Twins' future than I did when I was 8, or even 18. Part of that undoubtedly is because the Twins have played so bad this season, but the other part might generally just be a change in the way I think about things. As a kid, or even a teenager, all you really need is a good day-to-day approach in order to get by. Good luck doing that as an adult! If you own a home, work, or ever plan to retire, you had better be forward-thinking and sometimes shrewd in your decisions. I think that's where I am with the Twins now. But it hasn't been a 100 percent shift from the 8 year old me to the 30 year old version. I don't go to too many Twins games, based on where I live, and I actually hadn't seen Joe Mauer play in person until 2010 (not counting when I played against him as a teenager). So I still get excited for Twins games. I still think that there are players, like Mauer for instance, that I just wouldn't want to see traded from the Twins, no matter what the haul. I have a similar feeling for Justin Morneau. And I was still pretty excited this April when Mauer tossed me a game ball at Camden Yards. Things like that don't get old. Now, though, there are just some other ways to appreciate games. Being able to look into some advanced stats has made me appreciate certain facets of the game. As I kid I probably didn't care about anything besides home runs and batting titles. Becoming a fan of the Twins' minor league system has also been great. And I would add blogging to this list, as well: being able to communicate about baseball to hundreds of other fans is pretty cool. But part of me -- probably a large part -- is still pretty similar to that 8 year old fan who probably said some pretty awful things about Andy MacPhail in late July, 1989. The 30 year old me is just as much a Twins fan, but hopefully a little wiser, and soon will need to seriously consider wearing sunscreen on the top of his head when he heads out to a ballgame.

I still do not believe there is a realistic market for Morneau. Sure, all it takes is one desparate GM willing to overlook the serious injury history and questionable future, but I don't see the Twins getting any great return (except for salary relief, and I still think MN would have to throw in some money) for Morneau. It would cost approximately a $21 million for a team to pay Morneau for the last half of 2012 and all of 2013. That's a big, big financial risk for most teams, even contenders, especially considering that Morneau hasn't successfully finished a season in a while.

It sounds like this could become an issue in Miami, too (if you ask Giancarlo Stanton, anyway). Way to early to tell there, though, because it's going to get pretty warm there this summer and the ball should start flying a little better.

On any team that has a player with the last name "Butera," such team shall only be allowed to have that particular Butera play in a baseball game one (1) time per week.

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?574-Wednesday-s-Twins-Minor-League-Daily

It's time again for my recap of tonight's action in the Twins' farm system. The parent club couldn't pull out a win tonight, so let's see how the affiliates fared. The Rochester Red Wings were off tonight. They are in last place in the International League North, 9 games out of first place with a 16-26 record. New Britain 1, Binghamton 8 Today's game was quite a test for the Rock Cats, facing top Mets pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. He routinely hits 97 with the fastball, and probably won't be too long for AA. He looked good against New Britain this afternoon, throwing 8 innings and allowing 2 hits and 1 run. But David Bromberg, starting for the Rock Cats, also had a solid performance, going 6 strong innings, striking out 8, walking 3 and giving up just 1 run on 4 singles. Blake Martin relieved Bromberg, tossing a scoreless 7th and walking 1 batter. He gave up 1 hit to lead off the 8th before being removed in favor of Luis Perdomo. Then things got ugly. Perdomo walked one, but the Mets scored twice following a sacrifice bunt, a single, and a Danny Lehmann throwing error. Brett Jacobson threw 2/3 of the 9th, issued 5 walks and gave up 5 runs (2 earned) -- a 3-run home run and a bases-loaded walk. Bobby Lanigan came on to get the last out in the 9th, which he did after hitting a batter with the bases loaded to bring in the Mets' 8th run (charged to Jacobson). Martin ended up with the loss. To sum up: starting pitching was good; the bullpen wasn't. There wasn't much offense to speak of for the Rock cats. Minnesota's own Nathan Hanson had an RBI single in the 5th to score Aaron Hicks, who had walked and stolen second (stolen base #13 for Hicks). Reversing a recent trend, Chris Herrmann did not get 4 hits today, but he did coax a walk out of Wheeler. Danny Lehmann had a double. Here's the link to the box score. Ft. Myers 3, Clearwater 4 With a lengthy rain delay, starter Pat Dean went only 3 innings for the Miracle, allowing no runs on 2 hits and striking out 1. His outing was cut short as a result of the delay. Reliever Jose Gonzalez was excellent out of the bullpen, going 5 innings and allowing 1 run on 2 hits, and striking out 2 and walking 1 along the way. Ricky Bowen had a tough night, giving up 3 runs after allowing 3 hits and a walk in the 9th inning, picking up the loss. The Miracle banged out 12 hits tonight, including 2 hits (1 double each) from Daniel Ortiz and Josmil Pinto, and 2 singles from catcher Daniel Rohlfing. Jairo Perez had a double, and Daniel Santana, Levi Michael, Andy Leer, Angel Morales and Lance Ray each had singles. Santana, Perez and Leer each had an RBI tonight, and Santana picked up his 5th stolen base of the year. Here's the link to the box score. Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 5 The Snappers couldn't put it together tonight against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Starter Matthew Summers went 5 innings, gave up 7 hits and 4 earned runs. He struck out 2 and walked 2, but gave up 3 home runs. The bullpen, however, was better. Ryan O'Rourke, Clint Dempster and Corey Williams all pitched scoreless innings in relief. On offense, the Snappers had 7 hits, including 2 hits from first baseman Adam Bryant, as well as doubles from Jairo Rodriguez, Wang-Wei Lin, Drew Leachman and Eddie Rosario. Lin drove in all 3 Beloit runs. TwinsDaily's own AJ Pettersen also had a single for Beloit. Miguel Sano continued his slump, going 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts, and his average stands at .250 now. He also committed an error, his 15th of the season. Here's the link for the box score. ---------------- Players of the Day for May 23, 2012 Hitter of the Day: Wang-Wei Lin (photo courtesy of Jim Crikket) http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/CapitalBabs/Baseball/Steve/Snappers/Lin.jpg Pitcher of the Day: Jose Gonzalez (photo also courtesy of Jim Crikket) http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/CapitalBabs/Baseball/Steve/Snappers/Gonzalez6.jpg ---------------- Thursday's Action Rochester @ Gwinnett -- RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain vs. Binghamton -- RHP B.J. Hermsen Ft. Myers vs. Clearwater -- RHP Madison Boer Beloit vs. Cedar Rapids -- LHP Matthew Tomshaw --------------- Feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comments section, and either Seth or I will get to them!

It's time again for my recap of tonight's action in the Twins' farm system. The parent club couldn't pull out a win tonight, so let's see how the affiliates fared. The Rochester Red Wings were off tonight. They are in last place in the International League North, 9 games out of first place with a 16-26 record. New Britain 1, Binghamton 8 Today's game was quite a test for the Rock Cats, facing top Mets pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. He routinely hits 97 with the fastball, and probably won't be too long for AA. He looked good against New Britain this afternoon, throwing 8 innings and allowing 2 hits and 1 run. But David Bromberg, starting for the Rock Cats, also had a solid performance, going 6 strong innings, striking out 8, walking 3 and giving up just 1 run on 4 singles. Blake Martin relieved Bromberg, tossing a scoreless 7th and walking 1 batter. He gave up 1 hit to lead off the 8th before being removed in favor of Luis Perdomo. Then things got ugly. Perdomo walked one, but the Mets scored twice following a sacrifice bunt, a single, and a Danny Lehmann throwing error. Brett Jacobson threw 2/3 of the 9th, issued 5 walks and gave up 5 runs (2 earned) -- a 3-run home run and a bases-loaded walk. Bobby Lanigan came on to get the last out in the 9th, which he did after hitting a batter with the bases loaded to bring in the Mets' 8th run (charged to Jacobson). Martin ended up with the loss. To sum up: starting pitching was good; the bullpen wasn't. There wasn't much offense to speak of for the Rock cats. Minnesota's own Nathan Hanson had an RBI single in the 5th to score Aaron Hicks, who had walked and stolen second (stolen base #13 for Hicks). Reversing a recent trend, Chris Herrmann did not get 4 hits today, but he did coax a walk out of Wheeler. Danny Lehmann had a double. Here's the link to the box score. Ft. Myers 3, Clearwater 4 With a lengthy rain delay, starter Pat Dean went only 3 innings for the Miracle, allowing no runs on 2 hits and striking out 1. His outing was cut short as a result of the delay. Reliever Jose Gonzalez was excellent out of the bullpen, going 5 innings and allowing 1 run on 2 hits, and striking out 2 and walking 1 along the way. Ricky Bowen had a tough night, giving up 3 runs after allowing 3 hits and a walk in the 9th inning, picking up the loss. The Miracle banged out 12 hits tonight, including 2 hits (1 double each) from Daniel Ortiz and Josmil Pinto, and 2 singles from catcher Daniel Rohlfing. Jairo Perez had a double, and Daniel Santana, Levi Michael, Andy Leer, Angel Morales and Lance Ray each had singles. Santana, Perez and Leer each had an RBI tonight, and Santana picked up his 5th stolen base of the year. Here's the link to the box score. Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 5 The Snappers couldn't put it together tonight against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Starter Matthew Summers went 5 innings, gave up 7 hits and 4 earned runs. He struck out 2 and walked 2, but gave up 3 home runs. The bullpen, however, was better. Ryan O'Rourke, Clint Dempster and Corey Williams all pitched scoreless innings in relief. On offense, the Snappers had 7 hits, including 2 hits from first baseman Adam Bryant, as well as doubles from Jairo Rodriguez, Wang-Wei Lin, Drew Leachman and Eddie Rosario. Lin drove in all 3 Beloit runs. TwinsDaily's own AJ Pettersen also had a single for Beloit. Miguel Sano continued his slump, going 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts, and his average stands at .250 now. He also committed an error, his 15th of the season. Here's the link for the box score. ---------------- Players of the Day for May 23, 2012 Hitter of the Day: Wang-Wei Lin (photo courtesy of Jim Crikket) http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/CapitalBabs/Baseball/Steve/Snappers/Lin.jpg Pitcher of the Day: Jose Gonzalez (photo also courtesy of Jim Crikket) http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a39/CapitalBabs/Baseball/Steve/Snappers/Gonzalez6.jpg ---------------- Thursday's Action Rochester @ Gwinnett -- RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain vs. Binghamton -- RHP B.J. Hermsen Ft. Myers vs. Clearwater -- RHP Madison Boer Beloit vs. Cedar Rapids -- LHP Matthew Tomshaw --------------- Feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comments section, and either Seth or I will get to them!

Wow, I guess I didnt realize that a pitching mound was as sacred as the Sistine Chapel. Is the mound not the same place where pitchers spit, swear and engage in other such behaviors? And is it not also common now to have a team's corporate logo right on the mound? https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRTFW7kyyljhNeEaCneNEcRGtbPHOGcyzrly2p9XREhuz2QLZGM

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-enD_ad7IRkM/T7zbH9pyfMI/AAAAAAAAAW4/7QB8uOqRkd4/s320/Herm3.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]In each of his 4 starts since joining the Rock Cats, B.J. Hermsen has gone over 6 innings. [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Yesterday, I reviewed some notable hitting prospects for the New Britain Rock Cats. The team is now 10 games over .500 and is in first place with a 1.5 game lead over the Reading Phillies. So although the offense has been scoring plenty of runs, the pitching has also kept this team in games. Today I thought I would take a look at the Rock Cats' pitching. Keep in mind that Lucas French, Lester Oliveros and Deolis Guerra have all been promoted to AAA Rochester, so less than 2 months into the season, the Rock Cats have lost 3 of their most consistent arms. With that being said, let's see how a few of the pitchers are doing: First, some starters: Logan Darnell: 5-2, 4.53 ERA, 51 and 2/3 innings, 35K, 16 BB, 1.37 WHIP. Steve Hirschfeld: 3-4, 3.14 ERA, 49 and 2/3 innings, 37K, 14 BB, 1.39 WHIP. Andrew Albers: 1-1, 4.31 ERA, 48 innings, 37 K, 4 BB, 1.35 WHIP. David Bromberg: 1-1, 3.94 ERA, 29 and 2/3 innings, 26 K, 12 BB, 1.31 WHIP. B.J. Hermsen: 2-1, 2.57 ERA, 28 innings, 16 K, 2 BB, 0.86 WHIP. And now some of the bullpen arms: Daniel Turpen: 3-1, 5.56 ERA, 22 and 2/3 innings, 4 saves, 24 K, 4 BB, 1.19 WHIP. Luis Perdomo: 3-2, 2.45 ERA, 22 innings, 1 save, 22 K, 9 BB, 1.23 WHIP. Bobby Lanigan: 1-2, 2.49 ERA, 21 and 2/3 innings, 3 saves, 22K, 3 BB, 1.11 WHIP. Caleb Thielbar: 1-0, 2.61 ERA, 10 and 1/3 innings, 1 save, 7 K, 3 BB, 1.45 WHIP. There you have it. As a group, there are no major standout performers -- no guys with a 1-point-something ERA or massive strikeout totals. But if you look a little deeper, some of the stats are pretty impressive: BJ Hermsen has been very good so far, and you have to like his control. In fact, I would say that, as a team the Rock Cats have shown good command of the strike zone. Perdomo, Lanigan and Turpen all have been striking out close to 1 batter per inning while exhibiting good control. And new Rock Cat (and Minnesota's own) Caleb Thielbar has been solid out of the New Britain bullpen thus far. Finally, I'm going to dig a little deeper on Daniel Turpen. In two rough performances this season (most recently on Monday night), he allowed 4 runs and 6 runs. In those outings he pitched a combined 4 and 1/3 innings. In his other 18 and 1/3 innings pitched, he has allowed only 4 total earned runs -- good for an ERA right around 2. Not to imply that you can simply "take away" bad outings, but when we're dealing with relatively small sample sizes, it's important to at least note a couple factors that are contributing to Turpen's interesting stat line. The Rock Cats play a noon game today, and a 10:35 a.m. game Thursday, so be sure to check back at my website for updates!

 [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-enD_ad7IRkM/T7zbH9pyfMI/AAAAAAAAAW4/7QB8uOqRkd4/s320/Herm3.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]In each of his 4 starts since joining the Rock Cats, B.J. Hermsen has gone over 6 innings. [/TD] [/TABLE]  [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] Yesterday, I reviewed some notable hitting prospects for the New Britain Rock Cats. The team is now 10 games over .500 and is in first place with a 1.5 game lead over the Reading Phillies. So although the offense has been scoring plenty of runs, the pitching has also kept this team in games. Today I thought I would take a look at the Rock Cats' pitching. Keep in mind that Lucas French, Lester Oliveros and Deolis Guerra have all been promoted to AAA Rochester, so less than 2 months into the season, the Rock Cats have lost 3 of their most consistent arms. With that being said, let's see how a few of the pitchers are doing: First, some starters: Logan Darnell: 5-2, 4.53 ERA, 51 and 2/3 innings, 35K, 16 BB, 1.37 WHIP. Steve Hirschfeld: 3-4, 3.14 ERA, 49 and 2/3 innings, 37K, 14 BB, 1.39 WHIP. Andrew Albers: 1-1, 4.31 ERA, 48 innings, 37 K, 4 BB, 1.35 WHIP. David Bromberg: 1-1, 3.94 ERA, 29 and 2/3 innings, 26 K, 12 BB, 1.31 WHIP. B.J. Hermsen: 2-1, 2.57 ERA, 28 innings, 16 K, 2 BB, 0.86 WHIP. And now some of the bullpen arms: Daniel Turpen: 3-1, 5.56 ERA, 22 and 2/3 innings, 4 saves, 24 K, 4 BB, 1.19 WHIP. Luis Perdomo: 3-2, 2.45 ERA, 22 innings, 1 save, 22 K, 9 BB, 1.23 WHIP. Bobby Lanigan: 1-2, 2.49 ERA, 21 and 2/3 innings, 3 saves, 22K, 3 BB, 1.11 WHIP. Caleb Thielbar: 1-0, 2.61 ERA, 10 and 1/3 innings, 1 save, 7 K, 3 BB, 1.45 WHIP. There you have it. As a group, there are no major standout performers -- no guys with a 1-point-something ERA or massive strikeout totals. But if you look a little deeper, some of the stats are pretty impressive: BJ Hermsen has been very good so far, and you have to like his control. In fact, I would say that, as a team the Rock Cats have shown good command of the strike zone. Perdomo, Lanigan and Turpen all have been striking out close to 1 batter per inning while exhibiting good control. And new Rock Cat (and Minnesota's own) Caleb Thielbar has been solid out of the New Britain bullpen thus far. Finally, I'm going to dig a little deeper on Daniel Turpen. In two rough performances this season (most recently on Monday night), he allowed 4 runs and 6 runs. In those outings he pitched a combined 4 and 1/3 innings. In his other 18 and 1/3 innings pitched, he has allowed only 4 total earned runs -- good for an ERA right around 2. Not to imply that you can simply "take away" bad outings, but when we're dealing with relatively small sample sizes, it's important to at least note a couple factors that are contributing to Turpen's interesting stat line. The Rock Cats play a noon game today, and a 10:35 a.m. game Thursday, so be sure to check back at my website for updates!

Too bad for Tosoni. I think you guys are right, though: there are a lot of outfielders at or above AA in this organization. There's a logjam of guys that are good, but not ready for MLB.

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gwwatdhue4/T7vj1DJeuJI/AAAAAAAAAWk/ZpJDPZbxZRo/s1600/Twins.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]I'm partial, of course, but am hoping to still see this logo in New Britain next season [/TD] [/TABLE] Last week, I wrote about an interesting promotion whereby Rock Cats fans could meet New York Mets prospects prior to a game held at New Britain Stadium in an event arranged by the Rock Cats organization. Between the facts that the Rock Cats are under new ownership this season, the Rock Cats-Twins affiliation agreement is set to expire after this season, and the Binghamton Mets are looking for a new home, some eyebrows were raised. This afternoon, John Willi, President of the Rock Cats, did a Q & A session on Twitter for Rock Cats fans. I asked a question concerning the relationship with the Twins, and clearly I wasn't the only person curious about this subject. There were a couple other similar questions, as well. Here were the pertinent questions and answers on this subject: Q: Thus far, how have you enjoyed having the Twins as a parent club, and how has the relationship been? A: The Twins are incredible partner. Second to none in my opinion. So far a great season in 2012! Q: What is the status of the PDA with the Twins after this season? ‏A: It's scheduled to expire after this season. We are hopeful that the relationship can continue. Q: Any truth to rumor of Rock Cats becoming a Mets affiliate? A: We have a great partner with the Twins and look forward to continuing that. So there's that. No point in editorializing or trying to read between the lines from what was primarily a PR Twitter exchange. When I read anything in the local newspapers, or hear anything otherwise, I'll keep updating.

[Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] [TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gwwatdhue4/T7vj1DJeuJI/AAAAAAAAAWk/ZpJDPZbxZRo/s1600/Twins.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]I'm partial, of course, but am hoping to still see this logo in New Britain next season [/TD] [/TABLE] Last week, I wrote about an interesting promotion whereby Rock Cats fans could meet New York Mets prospects prior to a game held at New Britain Stadium in an event arranged by the Rock Cats organization. Between the facts that the Rock Cats are under new ownership this season, the Rock Cats-Twins affiliation agreement is set to expire after this season, and the Binghamton Mets are looking for a new home, some eyebrows were raised. This afternoon, John Willi, President of the Rock Cats, did a Q & A session on Twitter for Rock Cats fans. I asked a question concerning the relationship with the Twins, and clearly I wasn't the only person curious about this subject. There were a couple other similar questions, as well. Here were the pertinent questions and answers on this subject: Q: Thus far, how have you enjoyed having the Twins as a parent club, and how has the relationship been? A: The Twins are incredible partner. Second to none in my opinion. So far a great season in 2012! Q: What is the status of the PDA with the Twins after this season? ‏A: It's scheduled to expire after this season. We are hopeful that the relationship can continue. Q: Any truth to rumor of Rock Cats becoming a Mets affiliate? A: We have a great partner with the Twins and look forward to continuing that. So there's that. No point in editorializing or trying to read between the lines from what was primarily a PR Twitter exchange. When I read anything in the local newspapers, or hear anything otherwise, I'll keep updating.

If anyone who is on Twitter is interested, the Rock Cats' owner, John Willi, is doing a Twitter Q & A at 2:30 eastern time (1:30 central for the math challenged). Good news: In exchange for asking a question, you get 2 free tickets to tonight's game! Bad news: You probably live in Minnesota, and also it's raining cats and dogs here now (pun intended). https://twitter.com/#!/RockCats

Take a look at Boston's injury report for tonight's game. http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=320522101 Wonder if there are any possibilities there?

I, know, right? I sincerely regret making the following statement: "Brian Dozier will be, heads and shoulders, a better ballplayer than Bryce Harper."

[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BEbMinyrRqc/T7uFJT7gXsI/AAAAAAAAAWY/bqFIJta9emo/s1600/Herrmann.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Rock Cats catcher Chris Herrmann [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] The New Britain Rock Cats won what ended up being a fairly close game last night, 10-7, over the Binghamton Mets. It was 10-2 going into the 9th inning, but Daniel Turpen let the game get a little too close for comfort. A win is a win, though! The big performer last night was Chris Herrmann, who was 4-for-5 with a double. For more on last night's game, check out the nice recap on TwinsDaily. As I do every now and then, I thought this might be a good time to provide updates as to player progress and how the team is doing in general. The good news is that the Twins organization has a team that is currently in first place, and that team is the Rock Cats. After last night's win they are 26-17, good for a .605 winning percentage. They are 1 game ahead of the Reading Phillies in the win column, so they lead the Eastern Division by a half game. Interestingly, New Britain is 12-12 at home, but an impressive 14-5 on the road. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games, and have won 3 of their last 4. Now for some reports on prospects you may be watching. In general, the batting averages have dipped in the past few weeks. Perhaps the grind of the season and the bus travel is starting to get to the players a little? Today I'll profile some hitters, and later in the week I'll take a look at pitching. Aaron Hicks: .248/.328/.412, 5 HR, 1 3B, 8 2B, 25 RBI, 12 stolen bases. 20 BB, 42 K. Deibinson Romero: .257/.344/.400, 3 HR, 1 3B, 9 2B, 22 RBI, 15 BB, 23 K. Chris Herrmann: .256/.299/.417, 4 HR, 13 2B, 14 RBIs, 10 BB, 32 K. Matt Rizzotti (in 20 at-bats): .250/.348/.450, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K. Chris Colabello: .228/.305/..426, 6 HR, 9 2B, 24 RBI, 12 BB, 31 K. Joe Benson (on disabled list now due to wrist injury): .156/.250/.250, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K. James Berersford: .267/.350/.286, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 15 K. This evening, the Rock Cats continue their series against Binghamton. Thereafter, the teams play a noon game on Wednesday, followed by a 10:30 a.m. series finale on Thursday. Then, the Rock Cats head out of town for a week for series against the Portland Sea Dogs and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

[TABLE=class: tr-caption-container] http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BEbMinyrRqc/T7uFJT7gXsI/AAAAAAAAAWY/bqFIJta9emo/s1600/Herrmann.bmp [TD=class: tr-caption]Rock Cats catcher Chris Herrmann [/TD] [/TABLE] [Originally published at Twins Fan From Afar] The New Britain Rock Cats won what ended up being a fairly close game last night, 10-7, over the Binghamton Mets. It was 10-2 going into the 9th inning, but Daniel Turpen let the game get a little too close for comfort. A win is a win, though! The big performer last night was Chris Herrmann, who was 4-for-5 with a double. For more on last night's game, check out the nice recap on TwinsDaily. As I do every now and then, I thought this might be a good time to provide updates as to player progress and how the team is doing in general. The good news is that the Twins organization has a team that is currently in first place, and that team is the Rock Cats. After last night's win they are 26-17, good for a .605 winning percentage. They are 1 game ahead of the Reading Phillies in the win column, so they lead the Eastern Division by a half game. Interestingly, New Britain is 12-12 at home, but an impressive 14-5 on the road. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games, and have won 3 of their last 4. Now for some reports on prospects you may be watching. In general, the batting averages have dipped in the past few weeks. Perhaps the grind of the season and the bus travel is starting to get to the players a little? Today I'll profile some hitters, and later in the week I'll take a look at pitching. Aaron Hicks: .248/.328/.412, 5 HR, 1 3B, 8 2B, 25 RBI, 12 stolen bases. 20 BB, 42 K. Deibinson Romero: .257/.344/.400, 3 HR, 1 3B, 9 2B, 22 RBI, 15 BB, 23 K. Chris Herrmann: .256/.299/.417, 4 HR, 13 2B, 14 RBIs, 10 BB, 32 K. Matt Rizzotti (in 20 at-bats): .250/.348/.450, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K. Chris Colabello: .228/.305/..426, 6 HR, 9 2B, 24 RBI, 12 BB, 31 K. Joe Benson (on disabled list now due to wrist injury): .156/.250/.250, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K. James Berersford: .267/.350/.286, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 15 K. This evening, the Rock Cats continue their series against Binghamton. Thereafter, the teams play a noon game on Wednesday, followed by a 10:30 a.m. series finale on Thursday. Then, the Rock Cats head out of town for a week for series against the Portland Sea Dogs and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Trout has been excellent, for sure. He was up the last half of 2011, so I was thinking more in terms of truly new guys.