MWLFan

Wasn't the whole Nishi thing supposed to bring in $$$'s from Japan as the folks there got to see one of their stars play on the big stage. Didn't the Twins envision thousands of Nishi jersey being sold in Toyko? Broadcasting the beauty of Target Field to all those possible customers who might swing by as they visited the Mall of America? I have the funny feeling there was a money component to this that had nothing to do with baseball. I believe that part of this was expanding the Twins brand past the United States. When baseball reality meets marketing plans it is not always pretty.

David thank you for sharing your words and welcome! Enjoy the game and stay connected here.

I caught my first Jason Wheeler game the other night against the Burlington Bees. I wish I had caught an earlier game. I would rather not relive the entire game, but instead let me give some impressions of Wheeler. Big bodied, Good motions. Mechanics look good for a guy in Low A and he has a good prescence on the mound. He needs to keep the ball down and work the plate as his stuff is not over powering. He threw a couple of nasty off speed pitches that got the Bees hitters twisted around trying to make contact. But his fastball is nothing special at this point. We are not talking Jamie Moyer here and I did not have a radar gun packed in my families travel gear, but it might keep the boys occupied in the back seat if I did get one, but I did not get the feeling I was seeing Randy Johnson out there. When the ball came up in the first inning he got spanked a couple of times, in the 3rd-4th-5th innings he was more consistent in working down in the zone and got the balls rolling into the infield. This was not always good as the Snappers decided tonight would be hacky sack night on the infield. But Wheeler did not lose composure and worked through the lack of support to make it to the bottom of the 5th. Not to say he was not emotional, but is was more Radke and less Garza. I didn't concentrate fully on the game with hot dogs, sodas, bathroom breaks, ice cream and the such to be dealt with but I did see enough to think that Wheeler has some promise. A lefty that could be a ground ball machine with an off speed out pitch who does not walk a lot of people, back of the rotation or BP at this point is where I see him in the Twins plans. I like his make up more then his arm after this evening. In speaking with him briefly he seems like a smart kid too that could learn to pitch and think. (Not Nuke LaLoosh out there.) If he could tack a few MPH on that fastball then we could have something, he has the frame to put some more accelaration behind the ball. Last night he pitched in the Midwest League All Star blow out in Kane County. The final was East a lot and West not a lot. ( I think the East just scored again this morning.) The Snappers are in the West. Good news is the Snappers pitchers did not add the carnage of the night. Wheeler faced two batters and no surprise got both to ground out. He threw 7 pitches and 5 were strikes. Good outing on what must have been an exciting night for him. I wonder how much longer he will be at Beloit. He might be better served moving up to Fort Meyers within the month unless the Twins like the work Gary Lucas does down here.

My thoughts are that he is 19 years old and in his first year playing the position. My expectations for him around defense is very limited at this point and it is frustrating to read angst filled comments that fail to take into account those two basic facts. I was a third baseman in high school who outgrew shortstop, like Sano I packed on some pounds but unlike him I stopped getting taller. I know it is a different animal at third then at short, the game comes much quicker and sometimes you really need to slow it down. But you know that doesn't happen over night. Will they move Sano to the outfield or 1st base in High A or AA, maybe. But the opportunity to have a All Star Quality thrid baseman does not come along very often, count the number of Hall of Fame 3rd baseman. The kid has the athletic ability, I watch him move his feet when he charges a ball and his pick up and release and can see he has the raw infield skills. That is a comfortable play for a shortstop and he executes it well. The hot shots down the line or to his left are works in progress, he is still adapting to getting into a good fielding posture all the time I noticed too. Also the other thing I found different is that as a Shortstop you are really involved in every play and have more responsibilty then a 3rd baseman. It is easy to lose a bit of focus at 3rd, it took me a shot off my knee one cold spring afternoon on Minneapolis field to figure out that I am in a very exposed place here and better pay attention or I could get hit in place that would be much worse. If we give up on him at third we are pushing him from a position of need in the organization at this point, unless you believe that Plouffe is the answer for the next 8 years, to one of moderate strength in the organization (outfield) or one that is fairly easy to fill from outside (First base). Put him and Rosario in the infield with Parmalee/Mauer at first with Buxton, Hicks and Revere or Benson or Arcia in the outfield you can get by with a all glove SS and a moderate offensive catcher. But in the end like all things baseball through the years, with the exception of the Canseco/Sosa/McGwire era, it will come down to pitching. This is Low A ball. These kids are here for seasoning and work. We should not be expecting polished players and sometimes we lose sight of that. Slow down and let him develop is my mantra with Sano. The Twins need to take the long view on this, and I know that is not something the folks at Target Field want to hear. Sano will get there and he will be a powerful force in the lineup. (He also needs to work on some things at the plate too.) We just might have to wait until he is 21 or 22 years old.

This is a glass 3/4 full kind of article. Love the optimism, I unfortunatly tend to the more pessimistic side this year and next and maybe next. It all starts with pitching and we don't have the horses to pull this cart right now. But yes, anything can happen this year.

We have had fun watching you the first half. You play hard and I think day in and day out have given 100%. Nice pick and turn yesterday on the DP. Other then that it was a tough weekend to watch and play I am sure. Enjoy the break.

Rosario spent a lot of time in the stands yesterday, sipping stuff through straws. Didn't look in bad shape, I was expecting more discoloration and his face being puffy. Did he get surgery already or is that still on tap?

Take some deep breaths. This is Low A Ball. Everyone is working on something, some things are major pieces like throwing the ball within current area code. Others more subtle, yesterday I saw Paul Molitor pulling Tyler Grimes aside after a trip around the bases and talk with him. My guess is it was a few tips from a master, but it could have been about some hot single girl behind the dug out. (Hold on I was in Beloit...accessing memory on that. Nope not a smokin hot babe in 40 miles.) But everyone is working on something. Sano is working on playing defense and not going all Pedro Cerrano on breaking balls. (Jo-bo is does not help with the breaking ball Miguel.) Could he someday be a 1st baseman, sure. But 3d would be better with his abilities. HE WILL NOT SOLVE THE ISSUES AT TARGET FIELD THIS YEAR OR NEXT!

The Snappers clinched the 1st half wild card and decided to mail in the weekend. It was not a weekend of good baseball for the A Ball affliate. In the field, on the mound and in the box they brought nothing that excited the few locals who showed up. Saturday Jason Wheeler started and had a rough first inning for him, working up in the zone and not keeping the ball down. The Burlington Bees made him pay that inning, with a couple hard hit balls and that found green. The next couple innings the wheels came off the Snapper wagon completely with 2 Sano error, a couple of hard hit balls, a few walks, some steals and a passed ball. There was not much to like about the Saturday game, but Wheeler started to get the ball down and got a string of groundballs that eitehr found some holes and rolled into the outfield or found his fielders with a 60% chance of a out being recorded. By the end of the night there were 5 errors, all no doubters. Wheeler ended after 5 innings and gave up 7 runs of which 4 were earned. For the night the Snappers gave up 11 runs, 6 earned. Sano is a beast with a swing to die for, but the guy needs to stay in Beloit and work on his fielding. I am no baseball scout or ex-major leaguer, but he looks like a player in transistion and struggling with certain aspects of the new position. He comes in on balls very well and has a cannon for a arm, he does not look as good going to his left and his reactions were just a tick behind the play on some hard smashes. You can't go all crazy on him and give up on 3rd yet, he is a good athelete and has the tools to be a good man over there. But he his in Low A and that is why he is there. Also that Arm needs some work on its accuracy. To qoute the Stones, "Time is on his side." Adam Bryant had the best game I saw this weekend for the Snappers. A Single, double and triple last night and nothing cheap. Sunday, looked good with Matt Summers rolling along through 5 innings and a 2-0 lead. He ran into a spot of trouble in the 4th when the bases loaded on a couple of well squared singles and another error on the infield. But he got out of it with a K and fly ball to center. In the 6th he started by giving up a single then gotta a quick Sano-Peterson-Liddle double play, the former Gopher saved a Sano error with a nice pick in the dirt at acrobatic turn and toss to get the runner. So things looked good at this point. Next two batters-single and long home run. from there two more homers and nothing further from the Snappers led to the 6-2 final. Other then the games our family had a good time with the fireworks, the on field game my son did, the Horny Goat Blonde, the Sano wobblehead, the dogs and brats. The weather was warm Sunday and some rain hit just as the fireworks ended on Saturday night. I mean where else do you get a Hall of Famer running around the concourse-Paul Molitor and the number 3 prospect-Rosario- in the organization sitting in the GA seats right behind you sipping a strawberry ice cream cooler, talking about life and the chattering about the game ongoing. (Some of it in English.) Gotta love the low minors. As always Snappers games are great values for the family dollar. Wish 2 things, more people would realise this fact and the Snappers had shown up to play. Some Pics- Jason Wheeler Find the Hall of Famer. JD Williams doubled up the middle on this one. Bees slept on his speed. This is a Sano Wobblehead. (The one on the left that is.)

Wheeler on the mound tonight. I will get my first chance to see him pitch live. Looking forward to it. Go Snappers.

Good for Liddle, but as a person going to the games this weekend I do have to say I am a bit disappointed.

I will try, but it's Fathers day and I will have both my boys at the game this weekend. Which means a lot of distractions. Some of what I have seen is he moves to his left pretty well and charges the ball with authority. His reactions are quick and he gets himself in position to make the throw pretty well. When I saw him earlier he kind of non chalented a few balls and seem to "lolly gag" a bit. But one needs to stop and say 19 years old. How many 19 year old males don't non chalent and lolly gag.

With the injury to Rosario what are the Odds that Niko Goodrum or Max Kepler get a taste of the Midwest League? Or how about dropping Levi Micheal back to see if he can get some confidence in his game? (I know the last one would not happen, but they have done it to Benson and Parmalee.)

With the injury to Rosario what are the Odds that Niko Goodrum or Max Kepler get a taste of the Midwest League? Or how about dropping Levi Micheal back to see if he can get some confidence in his game? (I know the last one would not happen, but they have done it to Benson and Parmalee.)

I have seen him play the position, and will again this weekend, I don't think it is a foregone conclusion he will not play 3rd in the majors. Now this is for a 19 year old who is playing his first full season of pro ball, but his movement is good, footwork is fine, plenty of arm and the glove is decent. Could he grow out of the position if he gets to be 6-5 and 240, sure. Could he balloon and become a full sized model, yup. But he is not a hulking statue at 3rd with no idea of what he is doing. 3rd base is a difficult place to find answers for this team, give him as much time as possible to not fill that whole. Then have Hicks, Buxton, Arcia, Benson, Revere and or Span covering the wide open spaces of Target field.

I know a member of the Schrieber family. The report he had was the surgery went well and Brad was on track to be fully functional for next year's Boilermakers. He throws hard, 95-97, and is a big strong kid who is a very good athelete. He comes from a baseball oriented family with a couple of brothers that have made it to the minors as FA's. Interesting choice he will have going in the 40th round, I would advise him to go back to college and up that stock if he is feeling good. But maybe he feels he is ready and wants to prove himself. Not a lot of $$ at 40.

The Snappers are home for Fathers Day weekend. What great way to spend time with your dad! I know my boys and I will be spending at least a couple of days down there watching the Snappers. Friday and Saturday both have Fireworks following the game and Sunday is a Wobblehead giveaway. This does beg the question, what is a wobblehead. I honestly don't know.

It has been a busy couple of weeks for the Snappers and Jason Wheeler. Since my last post Wheeler has started 2 games and with similar stats and different results. June 1st, in front of the Twins Territory Train crowd in Quad Cities he gave up 5 earned runs on 7 hits, 5 K's and the oddity of 4 walks. Wheeler has been walking a little over 1 a game going into that contest and that night could not find the plate with as much regularity. The Snapper offense bailed him out however for the win. Seth Stohs had these observations from watching the game at beautiful Modern Woodman Park, "The tall, left-hander didn’t throw hard, but he was very cool on the mound. His fastball touched 89-90 ph. He had a pretty OK changeup, and a good curveball in the upper 70s." This improved his record to 7-1. Next he was one of 7 Snappers named to the Midwest League All Star game to be played at the home of the Kane County Cougars on June 19th. This is wonderful for all these guys and a great experience. Then Wednesday of this week he took the mound against the Burlington Bees and gave up another 5 runs, 3 earned in 5 innings pitched. Walks went down to 2 and K's were 4 with hits at 9. One of those hits was the third home run he has given up this year, all three coming in the last three games. Jason has been hittable this year with 76 hits in 66 inning, but he has been able to succeed by holding down walks and not allowing the ball to leave the confines of the stadium. If this pattern hold the second part of 2012 will not be pretty for our young man from California. Gary Lucas and him need to find out what has derailed him the last few outings and correct it. The curve right now is not in his favor, but baseball is a game that encourages and rewards patience due to its constant fluctuations. It is game not built to ADHD world we currently embrace, but one we could learn a lot from. Jason will next take the mound this weekend against the 1st place Timber Rattlers up in Appleton. Important game for the boys to hold onto a playoff spot as the Cougars are coming up behind them.

I used to go there when the Twins had Mauer-Kubel and the Real Deal down there. Place was a dump with a great view. They redid the park a few years ago and now it is my Favorite stop in the League. Great to sit there on a summer night with the Bridge lite up the river traffic sliding by. Have not gone this year, what is wrong with me.

Ok Twins Territory Train participants. Jason Wheeler pitches tonight. I am hoping to see some posts on how he does and what impressions you have of him. Hopefully it will be a good night against the hated River Bandits. ( I am turning my Johan Santana and Joe Mauer River Bandits bobbleheads away from the screen while writing this.) So I will be out of town camping with 16 Boy Scouts and 3 Leaders away from any electronic devices. I am jealous of your time in the QC.

Google says that Peabody Firefrost Sid Finchs bastard child?

To where? Last year, the year before. His magical pre TJ self. That really is a moving target of a question. I can't say that Frankie is what he is...he is a riddle wrapped inside a enigma. He is hope held tightly by despair, he is a state fair pronto pup filled with radioactive waste. He is designed to ultimately intrigue our minds and break our hearts. Time to move on from Frankie.

Great to get a inside perspective. Kane County is a great atmosphere when it is a full house. I like your next stop too. Enjoy the QC and beat up on those Bandits.

About every 14 AB's Sano homers, last year in the Appy League it was just over 13. The MWL is NOT a home run friendly league. Amazing stuff. GIANCARLO STANTON in the Sally League- 12 ab's for every homer. He hit 39 that year in 468 AB's. I don't have the stats here but that league is more of a haven for hitters then what we see up here. So Sano's numbers are not inflated by the league, if anything he is probably being held back a bit.

Nate Roberts and Rosario also went deep. Big bats out today for the Snappers.