Seth Stohs

Harmon Killebrew leads the Minnesota Twins organization in several career statistics including games played, home runs, RBI, walks and OPS. He was also a leader off the field. When he passed away back in 2011, his off-field leadership and service was praised by the Twins and people around the game of baseball. The Twins initiated the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service given annually to one player from each of the four Twins minor league affiliates. Today we highlight the 2017 Harmon Killebrew Award winner from the Chattanooga Lookouts, outfielder Travis Harrison.Travis Harrison was one of two supplemental first-round picks by the Twins in 2011. He spent 2012 in Elizabethton where he won a championship. He was part of the first season of the Cedar Rapids Kernels as a Twins affiliate in 2013. In 2014, he moved from third base to the outfield and advanced to Ft. Myers where he was a key cog in the Miracle’s Florida State League championship. In 2015, he was part of the Southern League champion Chattanooga Lookouts. He’s remained with the Lookouts the last two years and is currently a free agent. Off the field, Harrison is a really good, giving person. He was very involved with several youth programs. He’s done that and more in the community every year and in the offseasons as well. One area he got quite involved with was the Hydrocephalus Association. According to Dan Kofp, Lookouts PR director, “This year Travis served as the team's ambassador for the Hydrocephalus Association. Along with appearing in their campaign videos Travis also led a clinic for kids with Hydrocephalus. He was also an integral part in bringing awareness to their brand new national "No More Brain Surgeries" campaign.” It was something that meant a lot to Harrison. “I was involved deeply with the Hydrocephalus Association and got very close with some kids that have it.” But he stayed even more busy. Kopf added, “The outfielder also was the first to volunteer for any community event and even played catch with Tennessee Congressman Chuck Fleischmann when he was in town.” As I noted, working in the community and enjoying time with children is something Harrison has always done. As Harrison said recently, “I appreciate the award, but I don't do those things for an award. I don't think anybody does. I just love seeing people happy, especially people that are not as blessed as I am. When I see an opportunity where I can help make somebody happy or even make there day a little better, i'll do it every time. Whether it's signing and autograph and helping a kid who can barely walk to the batter's box with with me, I really enjoy it.” Kopf summarized the effect that Travis Harrison had in the Chattanooga community, and it likely echoes the feelings of those he worked closely within each of the cities he has lived and played in. “2017 marked Travis' third season with the Lookouts and his third year as a member of the Chattanooga community. Overall Travis was an outstanding liaison to Chattanooga and his presence will be missed by the local community.” Cedar Rapids Kernels: Hector Lujan Ft. Myers Miracle: Kevin Garcia Chattanooga Lookouts: Travis Harrison Rochester Red Wings: DJ Baxendale Click here to view the article

My thoughts... Good to see Sano get four at bats. Good to see him get a hit and jog a bit on the bases. Good to see him take some pitches, some with velocity and some without. Loved seeing Romine get to play all nine positions. He's an appropriate guy for such a game. This year for Detroit, he's played 123 games now, and he'd played at least 9 games at each position, except catcher, and he'd even pitched once. While I would think that having him start and face one or two batters, I don't care when he was used. If the game had meant anything, they wouldn't have done it. It meant little... and even facing Sano, he got to see 4-5 pitches, and that's all that matters. I thought it was fun. He deserved it. That's it. Loved seeing Perk come in for that final out. Great to see the emotion. That should shut up anyone who thought he didn't work hard or didn't care to get back. When I talked to him about 18 months ago he reiterated his hope to finish out this contract and then be done. If he'd have pitched well enough to get the option picked up, he would have pitched next year, but he seemed content on this being his last contract. He said he admired Brad Radke doing that. Radke could have had some surgery and maybe pitched another 5 years, but time his his family and young kids was more important to him, and Perkins wanted to do the same. Having missed so much time, I wouldn't blame him for trying to go one more year... but if this was it, love the moment.

Eight times in his Hall of Fame career Harmon Killebrew hit over 40 home runs. Six times he led his league in homers. He played on 11 All Star teams. However, it was off the field where Killebrew made a name for himself during and after his career. His kindness was evident during his career, and he worked tirelessly after his career as well to help those in need. When Killebrew passed away in 2011, the Twins initiated the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. Each of the Twins four full-season affiliates would have one recipient each year. Today, we will share the story of the Rochester Red Wings 2017 recipient, DJ Baxendale.DJ Baxendale was the Twins 11th round draft pick in 2012 out of Arkansas. After pitching in the College World Series that year, he pitched out of the bullpen at Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. He spent the next three seasons as a starting pitcher. He made the Southern League All Star team in 2016 as a starter, but following the All Star game, he moved up to Rochester and worked primarily out of the bullpen. While he didn’t get invited to big league camp, Baxendale pitched a couple of times for the Twins in spring training. He even got to pitch against the Twins, for Team USA, in an exhibition game. He spent most of this season in Rochester this year where he posted a 2.98 ERA in 54.1 innings. He was sent back to Chattanooga late in the season where he did some spot starting and helped the Lookouts to a share of the Southern League championship. Baxendale also assisted his community in Rochester and for his efforts, he earned a 2017 Harmon Killebrew Award. When told of the honor, Baxendale told Twins Daily, “Harmon Killebrew was not only a great baseball player but also one of, if not the greatest humans to ever play the game of baseball. To be honored with an award that accompanies his name is truly one of the greatest honors I could ever receive. He epitomized what it means to be a Minnesota Twin and to play the game on and off the field the ‘Twins Way.’” According to Dan Mason, the GM of the Rochester Red Wings, Baxendale was one of many members of the Red Wings roster that kept busy in the community. “It was a tough call this year because we had some other guys that did a lot of work in the community as well but he did more than anyone.” Baxendale said that he participated in many community service events, “ranging from baseball camps at the field to player appearances throughout the city.” He added, “Some of the most memorable experiences for me were working with the local Miracle League in camps and events with special needs children and adults. It really puts into perspective how lucky we are to play baseball professionally, a game that all people enjoy and love.” Mason described even more of the activities that Baxendale did in Rochester. “DJ was a tremendous representative for the Red Wings in the community participating in countless events around town including but not limited to visits to schools, area hospitals, client events, youth baseball clinics, fundraisers for non-profits, our Challenger Baseball event, and the City of Rochester Clean Sweep where he volunteered to pick up debris around town. He treated his adopted hometown (Rochester ) as if it were his own and gave back to so many people and organizations in our community. We were fortunate to have many outstanding baseball players like DJ on the Red Wings this season but even more fortunate to have some phenomenal PEOPLE represent us, the Twins, and the game of baseball in such an incredibly positive manner.” Baxendale understands the role he has and has a strong perspective on what he can do with it. “I feel that it is important for me to give back because of my platform. I have the unique ability to be able to reach out to people because I am a professional baseball player. All of our fans stay loyal to the team regardless of who is playing and I want to show them that we care about them and their community as much as they care about us. Life is all about reciprocity. I want to always give back as much if not more as people give to me.” It’s a good lesson for all of us. We all have a platform, whether it’s 10s of thousands of twitter followers or family and friends in your community. We too need to find ways to be helpful in our communities. Cedar Rapids Kernels: Hector Lujan Ft. Myers Miracle: Kevin Garcia Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: DJ Baxendale Click here to view the article

5 innings, 57 pitches is it... I like it. It's what it should be. Make sure he's strong going into Tuesday.

The Minnesota Twins lost 4-2 in Cleveland on Wednesday night. Then they sat in the visitor's clubhouse for a couple of hours watching the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox. In the 10th inning, Nick Delmonico launched a two-run home run to give the White Sox a 6-4 win. The Twins Magic Number is now ZERO meaning that they will not need a Game 163, and they will be playing in the playoffs!For the first time since 2010, the Minnesota Twins will play in the playoffs. Most likely, they will be playing in New York against the Yankees next Tuesday. When Delmonico's home run landed, the Twins players erupted into a celebration. You have to feel good for these players and the coaching staff. Many of them were part of the 103-loss 2016 season. This group of men become the first team to have lost more than 97 games one season and advance to the playoffs the next year! The Twins now will play a game starting in less than 12 hours, but they are in, and that's all that matters right now!! Be proud, Twins fans!! Be proud! Be proud, Twins players!! Be proud. And Congratulations!! Thank you for an incredible six months to this season! Click here to view the article

475 of his 573 career home runs came while wearing a Minnesota Twins uniform. Harmon Killebrew had a major impact on many teams and many playoff teams. He also is well known for the impact that he had on people in the community. When the Hall of Famer passed away in 2011, the Minnesota Twins announced that they would award one player from each of their four full-season affiliates the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. After writing about the Ft. Myers Miracle recipient yesterday, we today highlight the choice for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.Today we wish to highlight the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, right-handed pitcher Hector Lujan. Lujan was born and grew up in Mira Loma, California, a city just east of Anaheim. He began his college career by pitching at UC-Santa Barbara before finishing out his college years at Westmont College. The Twins use their 35th round pick in 2015 to select the hard-throwing right-hander. He spent the remainder of that season in the GCL. Last year, he pitched in Elizabethton, though he also pitched once for Ft. Myers in an emergency outing. This season, he spent the year in Cedar Rapids. He began the year getting some work, but as the season wore on, he got into more and more high leverage situations. By midseason, he was Tommy Watkins’ closer. In 42 games (and 54 innings), Lujan posted a 1.33 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He walked just eight while striking out 54. He ended the year with 17 saves and finished fourth in Twins Daily’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year voting. As you can see, he was an impact player on the Kernels playoff roster this season. As important, he had a huge impact on the Cedar Rapids community as well. Ryne George is the Kernels Community Relations Manager. He goes out with the players into the community. Here he describes one of their programs that Lujan was very active with. “Hector has a passion for helping the community, especially when it comes to education programming for children. He helped me promote reading to over a dozen schools in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area. Most players are shy when it comes to being in front of a gym full of kids, but not Hector. He had no problem acting out the story I read to the kids called “The Purple Kangaroo” by doing cartwheels, hula-hooping, and dancing all while wearing a kangaroo suit!” The reading program was definitely something that Hector Lujan enjoyed participating in and supporting. He said, “The summer reading program involved me playing a skit in a kangaroo costume, following along with a book that someone else would read. I was pretty much trying to find a monkey called Ernesto. So the skit was me just doing movements like with what the book was saying. You know kids would get a laugh out of it, and they seem to just have fun seeing me do the dab, the hula hoop, and kind of just playing along, holding a sign that said ‘Where is Ernesto?’ and it seemed all the kids would engage in those events.” But Lujan did much more than dress like a kangaroo to make kids and adults alike happy around Cedar Rapids. He added, “Other events involved going to an elderly home playing bingo and also going to children's with special needs center to spend sometime with them by playing catch or even just talking about baseball.” According to Ryne George, Lujan helped launch the Kernels “Catch with a Cop” youth program. Lujan noted, “That was pretty cool to see kids getting involved with baseball players and police officers.” Lujan found out last week that he had been recognized for all of his hard work in the community as the Kernels Harmon Killebrew Award recipient. He was excited and humbled by the award. “It's an honor to receive an award named after Hall of Famer, Harmon Killebrew. It is also an honor to be a part of an organization that has such an impact on their community. I can only hope that throughout my baseball career and life, I can leave a mark on the community as he did. I want to be known as someone that gave all I had, both on and off the field.” Asked why it was important for him to give back in the communities in which he lives and work, Lujan recently told Twins Daily that there were several reasons. “I think it's important to give back to communities and kids just because it means a lot to kids knowing that there are others out there that enjoy spending time with them and are willing to make them feel special even if it's just a small gesture of playing catch or even just talking to them.”“Growing up,I would always appreciate people that would take the time to spend their time with me and show me new things and talk about my baseball or other things - whether it's baseball or not - just the fact that having someone there to listen to you when you share your ideas or even having someone to play with can mean a lot.”“Another big thing was having my mom work for an elementary school and having older kids come in and spend some time with us back when I was in elementary school. I always thought that was you cool! I just feel it’s always good to give back too because you never know how you can impact someone's life by words of motivation you give them even if it's an adult or a young kid.” While there were a lot of deserving Kernels players this year who served their community well, Lujan was the right choice. According to Ryne George, “The Minnesota Twins are very lucky to have a person like Hector Lujan in their organization, both as a player and as a person. Hector has a passion for helping the community, especially when it comes to education programming for children,” He continued. “I would like to thank Hector on behalf of the Cedar Rapids Kernels organization for his time and dedication to our community!” The 2017 Killebrew Award Winners Cedar Rapids Kernels: Hector Lujan Ft. Myers Miracle: Kevin Garcia Chattanooga Lookouts: Rochester Red Wings: *all photos courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Kernels Click here to view the article

They had to be in the organization by midnight 8/31.

He's pretty impressive...

Here's my wild card roster: DH: Grossman 1B: Mauer 2B: Dozier 3B: Escobar SS: Polanco LF: Rosario CF: Buxton RF: Kepler C: Castro SP: Ervin Santana That's the starting 10. Obvious Bullpen: 11 - Belisle 12 - Hildenberger 13 - Rogers 14 - Busenitz 15 - Boshers (over Moya) 16 - Berrios (early long-man, doing so makes Gibson the G1 starter vs CLE) 17 - Duffey or Pressly (over Curtiss) 18 - Gee (for in case it gets ugly in a bad way and need to get through it) Bench 19 - Adrianza (4 IF spots + LF) 20 - Granite (3 OF spots + PR) 21 - Vargas (1B + PH) 22 - Gimenez (backup catcher) 23 - MITCH Garver (PH, #3 catcher) 24 - Miguel Sano (fake PH, maybe real PH) 25 - Niko Goodrum (7 positions, but really a PR) 9 pitchers, 16 position players. If Sano is an absolute No-Go, then I'd probably go with Duffey/Pressly, whichever wasn't already there.

You can change your roster between every round of the playoffs.

In 2011, Twins (and Baseball) Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew passed away. 573 career home runs, all but 14 with the Twins. He was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 and was an original Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer. When discussing or ranking the list of great Minnesota Twins in history, you don’t have to scroll down to find Harmon Killebrew’s name. As great as he was on the baseball field, most who knew him will tell you that he was an even better man. Killebrew was tremendous in the community throughout his entire life. So, when he passed away, the Twins announced the Harmon Killebrew Award for community service. Each season, there would be one minor league player from each of the four full-season minor league affiliates. Over the next couple of days, we’ll highlight the four 2017 Killebrew Award winners.We’ll start this series today with the 2017 Killebrew Award winner for the Ft. Myers Miracle, catcher Kevin Garcia. Kevin Garcia grew up in southern California. He went to high school in Calexico, California, a small town on the US border with Mexico. Following high school, he went to Loyola Marymount. In 2014, he was drafted in the 30th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. After two seasons, he was let go and the Twins quickly swooped in and signed the backstop. He split the 2016 season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. In 2017, he began with Ft. Myers and played a bit more. In 58 games, he hit .254/.318/.264 (.582). Through much of the season, he had a batting average at or near .300.He had a brief stint midseason with the Chattanooga Lookouts. People talk about his ability behind the plate and how well he can call a game. Whether he is playing or not, he has tremendous leadership skills. Who knows, he could be a terrific coach when his playing days are complete. He is bilingual which certainly is helpful as a teammate or as a coach. photo by Linwood Ferguson But it was off the field where Kevin Garcia made a huge impact. He was a stalwart, willing to help out whenever he could. Dominique Miranda-Dubay is the Miracle’s social media coordinator and also ran all of the Miracle’s public appearances. Of Garcia, she said, “Throughout the season we had 9 player appearances, Kevin Garcia went to 8. Over the course of the season he accumulated 20 hours in community service. No matter what type of appearance we did, Kevin always showed up with energy, excited to impact the community, connect with fans or inspire young athletes to follow their dreams.” She continued, sharing more of the specific events at which Garcia worked and led. “Starting with the Disability, Dream, Do camp, it was obvious he truly enjoyed being a role model in more ways than just on the field. This season Kevin was involved in the D3 camp, our Miracle baseball camp, talking to classrooms of children in at-risk schools, participating in a Little League practice with children with disabilities, prepping and serving meals at the Community Cooperative Soup Kitchen, speaking with young athletes at a summer sports camp, and greeting kids at a school to talk about our last home game in addition to appearing on the school news. While there were other players who also dedicated their time, Kevin was certainly a unanimous decision with his humble attitude and using his role as an athlete to give back to others. After a night on the road with an 8 am appearance the next morning Kevin would show up on time, with a big smile ready to go. With anything we asked of him on appearances, he would go the extra mile to introduce himself to people, share his story, and immerse himself in the moment. Kevin was also known for regularly staying on the field after games, win or lose to meet fans, take pictures and sign autographs which did not go unnoticed. He was a very dependable player to have this season outside of his duties on the field and very deserving of the award.” Giving back is important and almost second-nature to Kevin Garcia. He told Twins Daily, “Giving back to the community is something that is always going to be meaningful. Like I said before, we sometimes don't realize how blessed we are and how much of an impact we can make in the community.” As you’ve seen, Garcia remained quite busy even when he wasn’t at the baseball field. “We went from making some appearances in elementary schools to giving food to the homeless, and it's something incredible. Sometimes we don't realize how blessed we are and how this game can help you and help others.” Garcia just turned 25 years old last week, but he understands the history of the game and understands the role that Harmon Killebrew played on and off the field in Twins Territory. “Harmon Killabrew had an amazing career and his numbers were ridiculous, but he was also known for the type of person he was. He was a class act guy and always treated people with respect. He never "big leagued" anyone. To win an award named after a guy like that is an honor.” Andrew Seymour was the Miracle General Manager. He noticed the effect that Garcia had on fans. “While there were many strong candidates for this award… Kevin Garcia was phenomenal. He did early morning appearances at schools, community centers, camps & daycares… his tireless community work was infectious. Always thoroughly engaging with all of our fans at games, Kevin was a fan favorite at Hammond Stadium. Fans were drawn to his enthusiastic energy on and off the field.” S Most important, Garcia hopes that through his efforts in the community and as a role model that he can inspire the next generation to help people in their lifetimes. “It goes from a simple high five to a fan or an appearance at a school that will inspire kids and say I want to be like the players and give back to the community. If we keep that train moving we will keep on growing as human beings and helping others grow, which at the end of the day is what team is all about. Making each other better. The community and players. That's what we are, a huge team.” Special thank you to the Ft. Myers Miracle for sharing all of these pictures of Kevin Garcia in the community. Click here to view the article

Following their three-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, there was some concern among Twins fans that the team might find a way to miss the playoffs. The team had ten games to play and a 1 1/2 game lead on the second playoff spot. The Twins followed with a four-game sweep in Detroit. That was coupled with the Angels losing games to Cleveland and Houston. The Rangers made a nice run to catch the Angels, but since then they have lost a couple of games. That allowed the Royals to catch up to both of them on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the Royals and Rangers lost. On Monday, the Royals, Rangers and Angels all lost. So while the Twins had their final off-day of the season, they saw their Magic Number fall to two.The Minnesota Twins start a three-game series in Cleveland tonight. While it would be great if the Twins could clinch a playoff spot at home this weekend, it's pretty cool that they are likely to clinch a playoff spot in Cleveland. Or anywhere. Let's not forget where this team came from. Last year, the team lost 103 games, a low mark in the Twins 56 seasons in Minnesota. There were unexpected firings and hirings. The team got off to a good start and held on through the All-Star break. A week before the July 31st trade deadline, the Twins went on a losing streak. At the same time, Cleveland finally started winning, and so did the veteran Kansas City Royals. The Twins fell behind in the AL Central but also in the AL Wild Card. At the time, their playoff odds sat below five percent. Fans (and most writers) felt that the Twins were right in trading a couple of veterans (Jaime Garcia and Brandon Kintzler) who become free agents at the end of the season. The players weren't happy and they handled it just like we would hope they would. They set off to prove people wrong. And they've done that. They proved fans wrong. They proved their front office wrong. They've proven most national writers and experts wrong. Here's the scenario. If the Twins lose all of their games, and the Angels won all of their games, the Angels would win the Wild Card spot. If the Twins win just one of their remaining six games, they would clinch a tie and force a Game 163 with the Angels if the Angels win out. For the Royals and Rangers to win the Wild Card, they are going to need to win out and hope that the Twins and Angels lose out. And, I think it's exciting for Twins fans. Let yourself be excited. Take a few minutes to think about the ride that the Twins players, coaches and front office have put us on throughout this 2017 season. The story is amazing! The baseball has been terrific. They have won 23 more games already this season than they did last year. Yes, it also means a one-game Wild Card playoff game in New York against the Yankees in one week. While the Twins will be the underdog, anything can and has happened in one game playoff games. I have to agree with Aaron Gleeman's tweet from this weekend: Let's enjoy this final week of the regular season. Let's appreciate what we as fans have been able to watch this year. Let's appreciate the seasons that veterans like Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier and Ervin Santana have had to get the Twins to this point. Let's consider the improvements made from last year to this year (or even early this year to late this year) of some of the young players like Jose Berrios, Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Polanco. Let's consider the job that Paul Molitor and his coaching staff have done to get the Twins to take this step forward. And when the Twins reach the playoffs, whether it's tonight, tomorrow or this weekend, let's not be afraid to let the emotions flow, whatever that means for you. And hey, once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen. That 1987 Twins team won 85 games and surprised their way to a World Series championship. I'm not saying that's going to happen. I'm not saying that's likely. I'm just saying, it's OK to dream on that. But most important, I just want to thank the organization, the front office, the coaching staff and the players for making this such a fun season. Fans have been given meaningful games in September, and will have at least one meaningful playoff game in October. It's been a great ride so far, and I'll stick with it as long as it goes! Click here to view the article

Bottom of the ninth inning of a championship game. A runner on first base. Your team is down by one run. You step to the plate. It’s a dream scenario we all have enacted in our minds at one time or another. Earlier this month, Chattanooga Lookouts first baseman Jonathan Rodriguez got to live that dream. He got a fastball up in the zone, and he launched it deep into the night, well beyond the fence in left-center field. Immediately, he raised his arms and walked toward first base. His teammates leapt out of the home dugout and raced to greet him when he arrived at home plate. The home run gave the Lookouts a 3-2 win in the game, and a 3-2 win in the series. It also gave them a share of the Southern League championship. You see, the Southern League decided to cancel the championship series due to Hurricane Irma which affected people in Puerto Rico, Cuba and made landfall in Florida as well. While he was playing hero for Chattanooga, Rodriguez had family and friends back home in Puerto Rico dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane. After the season, Rodriguez returned home to Puerto Rico and soon after Hurricane Maria arrived. It was bigger and badder than Irma and caused devastation throughout the entire island. Power was knocked out throughout the country and there is a good chance it won’t be returned for months. Jonathan Rodriguez is doing what he can to help the relief efforts. While there are a lot of Hurricane relief efforts in Texas and Florida, let’s also remember that Puerto Rico is a US commonwealth. These are American citizens as well, and they need help. A lot of help. Yankees legend Jorge Posada wrote a heartfelt article for the Players Tribune, asking for a favor. Eddie Rosario, Jose Berrios and Kennys Vargas are Twins players from Puerto Rico, but there are several Twins minor leaguers from the island nation. The Twins are scheduled to play two games against Cleveland next season in Puerto Rico, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. The stadium suffered major damage in this hurricane. So, as you read this, consider donating to Puerto Rico relief efforts if you are able.But now, let’s get to know a little more about Jonathan Rodriguez. He is a 28-year -old first baseman who spent the first eight seasons of his career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Last offseason, he became a free agent and signed with the Twins. He spent most of the season with the Chattanooga Lookouts, though he spent about a week at the end of the season with Rochester. He rejoined the Lookouts for their playoff run, and had the tremendous moment to give the Lookouts the championship. Let’s get to know him. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Puerto Rico, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Jonathan Rodriguez (JR): Growing up, when I started playing baseball at 7, I was a Braves fan. Loved watching Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, the Braves starting rotation with Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine. Always wondered why Leo Mazzone, their pitching coach was always rocking during the game. SS: How difficult was it to play and be in the States during Hurricane Irma, knowing family and friends were back home going through it? JR: It was very difficult during that first playoff game because there was so much that could happen with Irma’s trajectory. Thankfully the eye missed the island and damage was way less that what it could have been. SS: How about going through Hurricane Maria while in Puerto Rico? Are you and your family doing alright? JR: Thankfully, my family and I are OK. But the country is devastated. It’s not green at all. All trees, branches and leaves are gone. Looks like all the trees burned down. SS: What were some of the better memories of your youth and high school baseball career in Puerto Rico? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities too? JR: My youth baseball career never took a break ever since I turned eight. Every summer, some team would want me to play for them in tournaments in the US. It was fun getting to travel every summer, and get to face great teams. In high school, I also played volleyball. I think volleyball is a very intense sport and very personal against your competition. For some reason, I still like it tons. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and what was it about State College of Florida-Manatee that made it the right choice for you? JR: Recruitment out of high school wasn’t much. I had committed to Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona. But I had to come with money out of pocket to pay for school. Then, Manatee came along with a full ride. They showed lots of interest, gave me a full scholarship and welcomed me with open arms. I will be forever grateful to Coach Hill Sr., or Seven as we called him, his son Hill Jr (21), Coach Barry (17), Al Corlbeil and Matt Ennis for the great opportunity and adjustment period I went thru when I first got to college. Thanks to them, I was able to get adjusted to baseball in the state quicker and learn the fundamentals the right way. SS: What were a couple of your highlights from your time in college? JR: Highlights from my Juco days... Aside from going 4-5 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs while being sick, most of the highlights were taken by Jonathan Griffin, a former Diamondbacks player that hit 20 something home runs that year. I hit behind him most of the time, so usually I was just looking at all the bombs he would hit. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? JR: I really never talked to any scouts, except Charlie Gonzalez, the Cardinals scout. This guy really pushed for me, drafting me even when he knew I had a torn labrum. Very grateful of the opportunity he offered me. SS: The Cardinals took you in the 17th round. How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? JR: The summer in 2009 my phone wasn’t busy that much. Out of nowhere, I got a call from the White Sox and Texas, I think. The Cardinals where the team calling me the most. I found out I got drafted sitting in my living room watching the Discovery Channel when Charlie called me congratulating me because the Cardinals had drafted me. A lot of joy rushed through my body because a lot of hard word had paid off. My mom’s reaction was priceless, and I was going to get the chance to meet my favorite player... Albert Pujols. SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? Specifically, how big of a challenge was the language barrier? JR: Language barrier wasn’t an issue. When I went to college, I knew English, so it was a matter of polishing it, learning slangs and that kind of stuff. Communication wasn’t an issue. On the field, the aluminum-wood bat transition was critical. Getting jammed at 95+ with wood was very different from aluminum bats, hahaha. At Manatee, we had a winning culture, so paying attention to detail was second nature. When I got out of Manatee, I was a professional baseball player waiting for a contract. That program is top notch getting student-athletes ready for pro ball. SS: You became a free agent after the 2016 season and signed with the Twins. What was it about the Twins organization that made it the right organization for you to sign with? JR: Last year, I felt like I had decent numbers to get a couple of calls during free agency. That wasn’t the case. The Twins were one of the few teams that called me and, to be honest, free agency is becoming tougher and tougher. You see guys with big league time, starting in Indy ball because the game is getting younger and younger. So, I’m really grateful that the Twins took a chance with me during the offseason and gave me an opportunity not many teams would have. SS: What was the key to your success really throughout the 2017 season? How much fun was it to play for such a great team in Chattanooga, under a great manager in Jake Mauer? JR: There are a couple of factors to my success this season. First, having my wife in town made a huge difference. It's really hard to play for 6 months away from family. My mom and brother have been able to see me play in the States only one time, so having that family presence every home game was key. Second, trusting in my abilities and what makes me a good player was huge. I was able to make a midseason adjustment, which was a huge gamble for me, but I had nothing to lose, and that was having a more “fly ball approach”. Trying to hit the ball hard in the air made me drive the ball more consistently, which is very important in my offensive game. Playing under Jake is a breeze, man! Jake laid out the rules at the beginning of the season, and we just went out there and had fun! The whole coaching staff was fun, and that just makes you enjoy more the time you are at the field. SS: I have to ask… take us back to the Southern League co-championship game. The Lookouts are down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. A runner gets on base. What is going through your mind as you’re walking to the plate? Were you thinking walk-off the whole time? JR: At the moment I stepped to the plate, I wasn’t thinking of trying to hit a home run. Like I said in the interview to MiLB, in the top of the seventh, after striking out, I saw myself hitting a home run and turning to our dugout getting my hands across my jersey where it says ‘Nooga. When Wade got on, after a very competitive at-bat against Gibaut, one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the league, I had no thoughts of a home run. I just went looking for a belt high fastball to drive and stay away from a double play. SS: And from the video, it was pretty clear you knew it was gone and your team was getting rings… What was going through your mind as you were running around the bases? JR: OMG, man, as soon as I hit it, I flipped my bat and got my hands up like Manny Ramirez, I for sure knew it was gone. Walking to first while watching the ball, I was thinking “I really ended this game with a home run” and running around the bases it was surreal. I was thinking of all the hard work that I’ve put into this game, my family, my wife and wishing they were able to see it live. My wife had to fly back before the season ended, so she wasn’t there to see it. It was, by far, the highlight of my career! SS: What do you have planned for the offseason? Will you play winter ball again? JR: So far the plan is to play winter ball. Now that Maria hit Puerto Rico, the winter ball here is uncertain. Stadiums are destroyed, so it would be hard to get them ready in time. Hopefully some team from the Dominican Republic calls me, that would be a dream come true since my parents are from Dominican Republic and it would be an honor to play in front of my family back in the Dominican Republic. SS: What are some of the things that you enjoy doing when you’re not playing baseball? JR: I really enjoy and invest lots of time playing this video game called Destiny. It's a Sci-Fi shooter and is very interesting and overall a time-consuming game. Thankfully, a lot of the guys in the Twins like Stephen (Gonsalves), (Mitch) Garver, (Jason) Wheeler, Dereck Rodriguez, Ryan Walker, Ryan Strausborger and a lot of other guys play it too, so we will be spending a lot of time playing together, at least I will get back on the sticks when power and internet get back to Puerto Rico, which might take months. SS: You can become a free agent again this offseason. What will be some of the factors that will go into a decision for where you’ll play in 2018? JR: That's a good question and it's something me and my agent need to sit down and discuss the plan for next year. Right now, priority is to help my people here as much as I can to recover from this disaster, and then, we will discuss all the possibilities for my future. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? JR: My parents have been a cornerstone to everything I am today. Although they have no baseball background, their support has always been there since day one. My brothers and my wife’s support have helped me be hungry to become the best version of myself on a baseball field. All the coaches, in one form or another, have contributed in my development as a player on the field, but also a good citizen off the field. And to God, he has blessed me with great people around me and has given me health and strength to go through all the challenges thrown at me. SS: Favorite Baseball movie? JR: Hahaha! To me it has to be, Bad News Bears. I find it hilarious. A big Thank You to Jonathan Rodriguez for taking time to respond to our questions. It’s a busy time for him as he’s helping out Puerto Rico after the impact of Hurricane Maria. Most of the country doesn’t have power. He made a comment that he only has internet access at night, but he took some of that time to respond. Again, if you are able, consider donating to the relief efforts in Puerto Rico. 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The Twins won on Friday night in Detroit. Later in the night, Angels and the Rangers lost, so the Twins have a 3 1/2 game lead on the 2nd AL Wild Card with eight games to play. Another way to look at that? The Twins magic number for a playoff spot is down to six. Not convinced yet? Here are the playoff odds for the Twins according to some reliable national websites. FanGraphs - 88.1% Baseball Prospectus - 90.0% FiveThirtyEight - 90% In other words, it is officially OK to be excited about the Twins playoff chances.There are many reasons that the Twins are in this position. Nick wrote last week that everyone has contributed to a successful season. Today I wanted to highlight one player who has been very helpful to the Twins cause down the stretch. On August 19th, Miguel Sano fouled a ball off of his shin, and he hasn't played since. At this point, the odds of him contributing further in 2017 are unlikely, bordering on it's not going to happen. The next day, Paul Molitor inserted Eduardo Escobar into the lineup at third base. He's been there most every day since. He's contributed in a big way. Defensively, he has played quite well at third base, even making a few web gems. He's made just two errors in 33 games at the hot corner. Offensively, he's hit like Eduardo Escobar, in terms of batting average and on-base percentage. In those 33 games, he has hit .246 and been on base 29.6% of the time. However, he has also provided Sano-like (or Sano-light?) power. In those games, he has added four doubles, three triple and eight home runs. For a while, he was hitting cleanup against left-handed pitching. Fortunately that has stopped due to the performances of Jorge Polanco, Eddie Rosario and Byron Buxton. While a team is not going to fully replace the offensive upside of Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar has been as good as we could hope. His .803 OPS is pretty good for anyone, even if most of that has come from extra-base hits. And when the talk of leadership in the Twins clubhouse comes up, Eduardo Escobar's name should not be forgotten. His joy brings players together. His philanthropy has made him a finalist for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. For all that, join me in a hat tip for Eduardo Escobar. Click here to view the article

On Wednesday, the Twins lost in New York to the Yankees (Rinse. Repeat.) Fortunately, the Twins got help from the American League Central Division champions from Cleveland. Late on Wednesday night, the Angels lost a second-straight one-run game at the hands of Cleveland. That combination of events means that the Twins, despite their struggles in New York, they still have a 1.5 game lead in the American League Central. With all these losses, could another team work its way into the picture? Nine days ago, we took a look at the teams competing with the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot. Seven teams were within four games of each other with between 18 and 20 games to play.Today, there are six teams within four games of the Twins and that second Wild Card spot. Baltimore is the one team that has fallen back. They are now 5.5 games back. Of course, being four games back with 20 games to play is very different than being four games back with ten games to play. Here is how the 2nd Wild Card race stands with 11 days left in the regular season (12 if there is a Game 163). Fortunately for the Twins, the other teams have all struggled in the last 9-10 days too. The Twins have gone 4-5 in the last nine days, but each of the other teams competing for the second Wild Card spot have been under .500. The Angels, Rangers, Mariners and Royals were all 3-5 during that time frame. The Rays were 3-4. The Orioles fell out of the race by going 2-7. So, the Twins have lost four of their last five games but only lost 1.5 games in that time frame. The Twins still have the advantage for a playoff spot, and that should be encouraging. Of course, here is the time when it is important to mention that the Twins went 59-103 last year, and they now have 78 wins this season with ten games to play. Yes, 2017 has been a tremendous success for the Twins regardless of what happens over these final ten games. That said, it’s OK to recalibrate your expectations (or at least your hopes) for the 2017 season at this point. With ten games to play in a 162 game season, it’s as if the Twins have a one-run lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning of their season. Now it’s time to bring in the closer and finish the season strong. Here is a quick look at the remaining schedule. The Twins start with four games in Detroit and then head to Cleveland for three games. They finish with three home games against the Tigers. Seven games against the Tigers would seen to be a very positive thing for the Twins, and relatively speaking, it is. The Tigers traded off some veterans including Justin Verlander and JD Martinez in the last couple of months. They are playing for 2018. So they can be a scary opponent too. The Twins obviously have motivation to finish strong and get to a one-game playoff. But the Tigers players have motivation to finish strong and try to impress the manager and the front office. If 84 is the number of wins needed, the Twins would have to go 6-4 in their final ten and the Angels would have to go 8-3. For the Angels to go 8-3, they would likely need to win one of the four remaining games against Cleveland and the Astros, and if they do that, they would have to win their four games at Chicago (White Sox) and three games against the Mariners to end the season. More important, if 84 is the new number that we believe that it will take to win the second Wild Card, it is harder to envision that this is more than a two-team race. Texas is now 75-76 and 2.5 games back of the Twins, but to get to 84 wins, they would need to go 9-2 down the stretch. Feasible? Yes. Likely? No. However, after playing in Seattle today, they will play seven games in Oakland but three against Houston. The Mariners would have to go 10-0 down the stretch to get to 84 wins, and they have three games against Cleveland and three on the road against the Rangers. The Royals would have to go 10-1 down the stretch. While they have the “easiest” schedule down the stretch, they have one game in New York against the Yankees that will certainly be difficult, and they only have a one-game margin for error. The Rays would have to go 10-0, and they have three against the Yankees. So again, it now appears to be just a two-team race for the second Wild Card. Unless, of course, 84 isn’t the required win total. PLAYOFF ODDS Here are the projections for which of the competing teams will make the playoffs: FanGraphs: Twins: 62.4% Angels: 26.0% Rangers: 4.8% BaseballProspectus: Twins: 65.0% Angels: 20.4% Rangers: 9.0% FiveThirtyEight Twins: 64% Angels: 22% Texas: 9% FiveThirtyEight predicts that the Twins will end with a record of 83-79. That would mean a 5-5 record down the stretch. REMAINING SCHEDULES Minnesota Twins (78-74) 4 games @ Detroit 1 Day Off 3 games @ Cleveland 3 games vs Detroit Los Angeles Angels (76-75, 1.5 games behind Twins) 1 game vs Cleveland 3 games @ Houston 4 games @ White Sox 3 games vs Seattle Texas Rangers (75-76, 2.5 games behind Twins) 1 game @ Seattle 3 games @ Oakland 3 games vs Houston 4 games vs Oakland Seattle Mariners (74-78) 1 game vs Texas 3 games vs Cleveland 3 games @ Oakland 1 day off 3 games @ LA Angels Kansas City Royals (74-77) 1 game @ Toronto 3 games @ Chicago White Sox 1 game @ NY Yankees 3 games vs Detroit 3 games vs Arizona Tampa Bay Rays (74-78) 4 games @ Baltimore 1 day off 3 games @ NY Yankees 3 games vs Baltimore So, what do you think will happen? What do the Twins need to do? I think the most important thing that the Twins can do is forget the three games in New York. Notice that they control their own destiny, they have the lead in the wild card race, and they can only control what they do. They need to take care of business in Detroit, and they need to find a way to eke out a win in Cleveland. Then they’ll still need to finish strong against the Tigers at home. Click here to view the article

Last year, Gordon, Curtiss, English and Rosario were all A-Ballers. That's part of the AFL, more now since they opened it up several years ago to be able to include more. I'd put Hackimer and Vasquez in the category of Curtiss and Rosario. Certainly could be considered as options later in the year next year in the bullpen. Paul was hitting like .370 when he got hurt or he would likely have spent half the season in AA. Might as well see what you've got. Putting Eades there might be the best thing for him, and he was throwing a little harder this year, working more out of the bullpen. I wouldn't give up on him at all. And then obviously they need to fill rosters. So if they decided not to send Gordon, for whatever reason, it's a coin flip for which infielder to send. Since Miller can play 3 positions in the infield, and spent time in the outfield, he makes a lot of sense. And, Wade fits the category of prospect. Falvey said that in a meeting with media a couple of weeks ago when I was there. He mentioned some of the categories you mentioned but then said Wade was definitely a guy they wanted to send there to challenge and put into that environment. And then like you said, we don't know who said No, or who was hurt. Maybe they determined that it was more important for Stewart to rest the knee and rehab rather than get 25 more innings. Or maybe he said No, Thanks. No way to know.