MWLFan

Slowey took the loss in AAA last night. Maybe the Twins actually got what he was worth in the trade?

Sounds like he is tonight.

Picking on Delmon for his defense is not fair, it is like picking on Drew Butera for his offense, Matt LeCroy for his speed or me for my spelling. Defense is something Delmon has to do, not something he wants to do when you have a team of Rivals for the DH position. I don't understand the cult of Delmon, maybe it will click for him and he will take off like it did for Big Papi. (But they test more now then they did when David started to stay healthy and go the other way off the Green Monster. I don't know of a injection for your glove.) What Delmon needs is the old Matt Lawton supersized glove, you know the one that looks like the big camping chair in Menards. It won't help route running and instincts he has yet to pick up after 15 plus years of playing organized baseball, but he could be able to swipe at the ball and maybe knock it down so it will not roll to the fence quite as often, thus saving his legs for his next at bat.

Snapper postponed the game today, gale force winds blowing through the park and out to right. Rockford Airport asked not play due to the fact that a Sano moonshot could effect the traffic patterns over the Airport. He has 4 and Hicks has 3. Cross fingers and rub rabbits feet that this is for Real.

Finally went to a game that A.) the Snappers won and B.) Sano connected. Both were worth the wait. Really. 18 years old. Wow. The only question was how far the moment we heard it. Glad I went today and not yesterday, considering the extra innings and the distance to Clinton. Beside the Sano home run I guess the most impressive player was Micheal Tonkin, he kept the Lumber Kings under control for over 3 innings. I think he has spent enough time in the MWL, time to head south for him. It's late and time to get the our guys ready for bed and prepped for school after dad them along to another baseball game two hours away. It will be awhile before I get to another game so great to go off with a win and Sano home run.

Finally went to a game that A.) the Snappers won and B.) Sano connected. Both were worth the wait. Really. 18 years old. Wow. The only question was how far the moment we heard it. Glad I went today and not yesterday, considering the extra innings and the distance to Clinton. Beside the Sano home run I guess the most impressive player was Micheal Tonkin, he kept the Lumber Kings under control for over 3 innings. I think he has spent enough time in the MWL, time to head south for him. It's late and time to get the our guys ready for bed and prepped for school after dad them along to another baseball game two hours away. It will be awhile before I get to another game so great to go off with a win and Sano home run.

I think it situational. Now the Twins have had in the past a undercurrent of racial whisperings when it seemed like a very light skinned team in the early 80's. But that changed with the influx of Kirby, Willie Banks, Pat Mahomes, Torii, J. Jones and other very good African American players. (Also it was felt that Calvin Griffith was not the most elightned of owners in a racial sense. I don't know that personally, but he had one speech....) However I think that that it was situational with Mauer being the hometown kid, MVP, Batting Chap etc...wtf you going to do with him. Then with Nathan the supposed importance of the "closer" within the organization. See Ramos v. Capps for more information. Hunter and Santana wanted the $$ and would have stayed, but both wanted too many years. One has turned into a RFer and is getting paid to be a power hitting CFer, and most starting pitchers are one call to Dr. Andrews away from wasting millions. So from the outside looking in I see no evidence that the decisions are based on any racial motivation. But nothing surprises me anymore, I mean Snooky is pregnant. Who would of thought she would have been so careless with sex.

Living here in Wisconsin there is some concern over being able to hold onto Greinke, but there is a confidence that it will get done. Having Prince leave was probably the factor that will play into that as the Brewers don't want to lose another star player. But wacky things happen. I have always like Geinke and think that Milwaukee or Minnesota would be two places that work for him, I don't see him as a Boston, LA or NY type.

shs-59, Thanks for the link as I was at that game too. Wang-Wei Lin needs to step up or Max Kepler might be taking his place in a Snappers uni pretty soon. Nice to see Sano and Rosario make big impressions on non Twins fans too.

Beresford was my favorite Snapper SS over the years, you wouldn't think he would be much of a player to look at him but he made the plays and seemed to really have control of the infield. See where he is playing 2b now, has he put on any weight? He was a pretty skinny guy back here.

Agreed Seth. Knoblauch was a CF too at one point. (In fact trivia question answer, who was the CF for the Twins when Dave Winfield got his 3,000 hit. Chuck Knoblauch. I was there and it was a screwy extra innings game with Knobby in CF at one point and Kirby playing infield.) Just watching him at second this last weekend made me want to maximize that middle infield big bat potential, I can't remember the Twins having such a talented bat at that position since Carew. Castino for a couple of years, Knoblauch didn't have the power, other then that ER could be a real force in a exciting offense. He is a good athelete so I am sure he will get there with the glove, but he needs reps.

The Snappers have a large board on the grandstand behind home plate with the lineups and the current League Standing on them. Thanks for the update and you sounded good on with Seth the otehr night. Keep it up.

Found that interesting. I think he needs as much time at second as possible, but I know the Snappers want his bat in the game and probably needed to get a couple of the other infielders some work. Hope this won't be a ongoing thing as CF is not a issue in the Twins system right now.

Found that interesting. I think he needs as much time at second as possible, but I know the Snappers want his bat in the game and probably needed to get a couple of the other infielders some work. Hope this won't be a ongoing thing as CF is not a issue in the Twins system right now.

We are getting ahead of ourselves in the Benson conversation. June or a injury may bring him up, but on April 12 we need to slow down a bit. Also I see a lot of Benson and Hicks talk, but don't forget Morales and Arica who are a bit behind them but could make a real big jump this year. Both could be the corner outfielder of the future.

Righty8383-On opening night Boer, as I think about it now, looked like he was not mixing it up much and that it probably caught up with him the second time into the lineup. But it was cold and you have to wonder how much of a grip he was able to get on the ball. Upper 40's will be about a 10 degree difference. On the other hand the Peoria pitcher was in the same weather and had a much better outing. Nice to have something positive to talk about with the Twins, but the pitching still worries me in the minors. One thing I have noticed is this year so far it is the top prospects performing and not a lower prospect overperforming. Sano, Rosario, Hicks, Arcia, Dozier and Morales. Gives you a little hope that what could be in 2014 could become a reality. I have to get to Clinton this weekend to catch the Sano/Rosario power trip. This could be a once in a decade team for a minor league fan. Thanks to Seth as always.

I guess I fall into the patient logical view catagory, but I wouldn't say that I give the benefit of the doubt without some basis for that. It is like a Bank Account, the Twins deposited a lot of equity with me since 2002. That is ten years of good baseball with some great moves. Did they make some withdrawls, sure. Last year dropped that account quite a bit and it is not at the level it was 2 years ago. But I look at the account and feel that they have a lot still in there and the manager of that account was Terry Ryan for most of the period. The trust and goodwill sure is not where it was in the 1970's or early 1980's when they probably had as much relevance to me as Greece has credit. The Twins were a complete after thought during most of my life and the last 10 years has been the most consistent and successful period of Twins baseball since I turn 10 years old in 1971. Besides 1961 to 1970 it would be hard to see how this leadership group could be unfavorably compared to any other group in Twins history. That all being said the clock is ticking and we need to see some progress and a plan that is coming together or that goodwill will be depleted, for me that is probably 2 to 3 years of moderate losing. (Another year like last one will move that needle quicker.)

I have seen him play 3rd in Beloit and actually had my fears calmed by watching him play the position. But it is game 4 and Low A ball and he is 18. Long way to go with him, but so far so good.

Also this is in the Midwest League, not exactly hitter friendly. What would he do in the old PCL?

Make it 3 hits-3 homers. Is it possible to bat .250 with only homers in a full season minor league?

I meant talk among yourselves, listening to the Twins and working here. Too much for my little man brain at one time.

Four games into the seasn and Sano now has 2 hits on the season, a grand slam and a 3 run homer. Is he the next Russell Branyan? Take amongst yourselves.

Four games into the seasn and Sano now has 2 hits on the season, a grand slam and a 3 run homer. Is he the next Russell Branyan? Take amongst yourselves.

Madre Dos- I have seen Sano for a very small sample, but I think he has the tools to be a good third baseman and saw nothing technically that could keep him from being a average or above player at the position with the glove. My one concern is focus, he seemed a bit casual over there at times. (But in fairness some of our pitchers were taking their time with the ball.) Rosario I think will be fine, he seems to a good enough athlete to adapt to the position. He is having some issue with the smaller glove maybe, because the ball is popping out of it right now on him.

We all need to do a well baby check here and repeat it is the first weekend, it is the first weekend. So that being my mantra my family and our friends from St. Paul headed back to Pohlman Field.It was a much more comfortable afternoon in Beloit. The sun was out for awhile and the temps slipped in the low 60's. Unfortunatly the same result as I saw on Thursday occured, a Snapper loss. Today it is was Tim Shibuya that started the game for the Twins A Leaguers and his afternoon was not much better then Madison Boers start two evenings ago, he too had a short start with a few well struck balls and not a lot of help from his defense. Wang Lei-Lin air mailed ball from right field causing a couple of runners to move up and into scoring position and for the second game in three Eddie Rosiario had a error at second that plated later in the inning. One series but here are the first impressions of a guy who never played beyond High School and works with Spread sheets all day long- (So take it for what it is worth) Rosario- I saw the power yesterday and Friday with a double and a laser homer to right. But he is going to need some work at second getting comfortable in making the plays at this level. The ball is having issues staying in his glove and his positioning still needs some work. But it is worth it, if he develops to his potential and stays at second he could be one of those guys who provides power at position one does not normally find it. But this maybe one of times were we need to temper our natural tendencies for instant gratifiation. Rosario has time to improve and grow into that player. Sano- I have not heard him make solid contact yet and have seen him chase a couple of wide pitches. Heard his Grand Slam was a good shot on Saturday, but didn't see it. I will say he has been a pleasant surprise with his defense. He looks like the most comfortable and seasoned defensive player on the infield, and I am not short changing Tyler Grimes and Rory Rhodes. Sano just looks smooth, he isn't going to make you remember Brooks Robinson, but he handles the balls hit to him very well. Can't say I have seen his range, but he has the arm and showed good hands. Starting Pitching- Ah...lets hope Boer and Shibuya have better days ahead. Relief- Looks good. Best pitchers I saw were the guys out of the bullpen. Yesterday Ryan O'Rourke domainated the two innings he was in. It wasn't a contest. His second year in Low A started well. 3 K's in six batters. Corey Willams looked good yesterday too. Offense-Besides Sano and Rosario. Not a lot. Ortiz impressed me with his swing. Yesterday 17 ground ball outs were hit into by the Snappers. 17! It's gotta to get better, right? We need to remember it is April, I am watching the Masters and not the PGA on TV. So I will not see them for a week or so as they travel and I have stuff to do. Maybe by then things will improve and I can see a team with tight starting pitching and the scary offense we all anticipate. As far as the Masters goes...BUBBA!!!