Seth Stohs

The Twins lost 8-2 to the Orioles on Saturday night in what proved to be a tough day throughout the Twins organization. Including the Twins, the organization went a combined 0-5 on the day. Of course, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some highlights… just that there aren’t as many! The Twins and the Red Wings are the only two teams that play on Easter with the three lower levels able to enjoy a day off on the holiday. Here is what happened on Saturday in the parks of the Twins minor league affiliates: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 2, BUFFALO 4 For the third time in three games, Brian Dozier had two hits. He added his second double of the year. Unfortunately, the Red Wings had just five total hits. JR Towles went 1-3 with a walk and a double. Daryl Thompson started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on six hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five. Esmerling Vasquez gave up a run on two hits and a walk over two innings. Brendan Wise walked one and struckout one in two scoreless innings. NEW BRITAIN 2, RICHMOND 3 (12 innings) Jason Marquis made his first New Britain start on Saturday. He went six innings and gave up one run on seven hits. He walked none and struckout four. It would be nice to get him a second start before he starts for the Twins, but he is pretty close based on this game. He was replaced by Andrew Albers who began his 2012 season pitching like it was still his 2011 season. The lefty threw three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struckout three. Lester Oliveros then struckout two in two scoreless frames. Lefty Blake Martin gave up two runs in the 12th to take the loss. Pedro Florimon had two of the Rock Cats four hits. He also stole a base. Danny Lehmann went 0-1 but he walked four times. The Rock Cats had some chances to win this game thanks to nine walks. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 3, CHARLOTTE 4 (10 innings) BJ Hermsen made his 2012 debut, and he was terrific. He threw five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out one. Tony Davis came in and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. Jhon Garcia went the next two innings without allowing a run. However, he allowed a couple of base runners in the 10th frame. Matt Hauser came in and gave up a hit that scored the go-ahead run before getting the final out of the inning. The Miracle were led again on offense by Danny Santana. Santana didn’t match the three hits he had in the season’s first two games, but he did go 2-5 and hit his first homer of the year. Josmil Pinto was 2-4. BELOIT 2, PEORIA 6 Miguel Sano hit a grand slam on Friday night, so it only makes sense that Eddie Rosario would notch his first home run of the season on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was one of just two hits for the Snappers on the day. Rosario went 1-3 with a walk and stolen base. Matthew Koch was 1-2 with a double. He also stole a base. The catcher stole home on the back-end of a double-steal (with JD Williams stealing second). Tim Shibuya made his first start of the season. In 3.2 innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on seven hits, a walk and a hit batter. However, of the 11 outs that he got, ten of them came via the ground ball. AJ Achter came in and gave up a run on two hits and two walks in 1.1 innings. Ryan O’Rourke struckout three in two perfect innings. Corey Williams gave up one hit in two scoreless frames. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, April 7, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Danny Santana Download attachment: DannySantana.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers Download attachment: Andrew Albers.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, April 8, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Syracuse – 1:05 (CST) – Cole DeVries --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The new guys continued to impress in their second games with the Twins, and Scott Diamond put in another quality start, but on this night, there wasn’t enough offense and the team lost in walk-off fashion in the ninth. Scott Diamond started and gave up two runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings to keep his ERA below 3 (2.95). Alex Burnett got him out of the 7th, and Jared Burton worked a scoreless eighth frame. Tyler Robertson came out to start the ninth inning. He gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases. Casey Fien came in to try to get out of it, but John Jaso hit a sacrifice fly to end the game. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The two new guys provided most of the Twins offense. Pedro Florimon went 2-3 with a triple and a sacrifice bunt. Matt Carson was 3-4 in the game, and he also threw out a runner trying to advance from first to third. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Saturday night: ROCHESTER 3, EMPIRE STATE 10 It was a rough start for the Red Wings. Shairon Martis went just 2.1 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out two. Bobby Lanigan’s consecutive scoreless innings streak (9.1 innings coming into the game) came to an end. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk (and a hit batter) in 1.1 innings. Daniel Turpen gave up two hits over two scoreless innings. Caleb Thielbar’s consecutive scoreless innings streak (9.2 innings coming in to the game) came to a conclusion as well. He gave up two runs on four hits over 1.1 innings. Deolis Guerra went the final 1.2 innings and gave up two hits and a walk, but no runs. Wilkin Ramirez led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 12th double. Chris Parmelee went 2-5. Brian Dinkelman had three walks and was hit by a pitch. Tsuyoshi Nishioka hit his second home run of the season. NEW BRITAIN 2, PORTLAND 9 (completion of suspended game) The Rock Cats were in Portland. On Friday night, the two teams completed three-and-a-half innings before the rains came. The game was suspended with the game tied at 0. The Rock Cats still did not have a hit, and the lone base runner was a Chris Herrmann walk. Luke French made his first start since his return to the Rock Cats. The lefty gave up two runs in three scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out one. Of the 28 pitches he threw, 20 of them were strikes. The game will resume on Saturday. David Bromberg took the mound for the Rock Cats when the game resumed. He went 3.1 innings and gave up seven hits and no walks. When he left the game, he had given up just two runs, but the bases were loaded and in came lefty Jose Gonzalez who promptly allowed all three inherited runners to score, charged to Bromberg. Gonzalez gave up two more runs of his own before getting out of the inning. Edgar Ibarra walked one in a scoreless inning. Aaron Hicks went 2-4 with his eighth triple. Rene Tosoni was 2-4. James Beresford hit his 10th double. NEW BRITAIN 4, PORTLAND 2 (regularly scheduled game) Steve Hirschfeld made the start for the Rock Cats and did quite well. He went seven innings and gave up just two runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out four to record his eighth win. Bruce Pugh picked up Save #7 with a scoreless inning. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck out two. Oswaldo Arcia went 2-4 with his third triple. Chris Colabello was 2-4 with his 35th double. Deibinson Romero hit his 20th double and stole his second base. FT. MYERS 6, PALM BEACH 1 Pat Dean returned from the Disabled List to make this start. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out four. Ryan O’Rourke gave up a hit and a walk but no runs in his inning. Ricky Bowen threw two scoreless innings. Michael Tonkin pitched a scoreless ninth frame. Danny Rams went 3-5. Danny Santana went 2-5 with a walk and his sixth home run. Levi Michael was 1-3 with two walks and his 11th double. Josmil Pinto went 2-4 with two walks. BELOIT 4, QUAD CITIES 6 For the first time in a month, Matt Tomshaw had a rough start. The lefty, who had given up just one run over his previous three starts, gave up six runs (4 earned) on eight hits. In 5.1 innings, he walked three and struckout five. Tim Atherton struck out five over the final 2.2 innings. He allowed two hits and walked two batters. Kennys Vargas went 2-3 with a walk. Nate Roberts went 2-5. Matt Koch was 1-3 with a walk and his second triple. JD Williams walked twice. Eddie Rosario hit his tenth home run of the season. Miguel Sano was 0-4 with four strikeouts and his 41st error. ELIZABETHTON 4, KINGSPORT 8 DJ Hicks had a terrific game at the plate for the E-Twins but it wasn’t enough on this night. The powerful first baseman went 2-3 with two walks, his fifth double and his third home run. Jorge Polanco went 2-4. Lefty Hein Robb started and gave up five runs (4 earned) on six hits and two walks. The South African struck out two in his 3.1 innings. Josh Burris worked the next 2.2 innings and gave up only one hit. He struckout three. Tyler Herr gave up two hits over two scoreless innings. Christian Powell pitched the ninth and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk. GCL TWINS 2, GCL RED SOX 1 Austin Malinowski started and threw four shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out five. Gerardo Ramirez worked the next two innings. He walked two and struck out one but didn’t allow a run. Hung-yi Chen then gave up one run on two hits over 1.2 innings of work. Alex Muren got the final four outs. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, August 18, 2012 Hitter of the Day – DJ Hicks Download attachment: DJ Hicks UCF.jpg Photo from University of Central Florida Pitcher of the Day – Austin Malinowski Download attachment: AustinMalinowski.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, August 19, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Empire State – TBD New Britain @ Portland – LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach – RHP Kyle Gibson Beloit @ Quad Cities – LHP David Hulbut Elizabethton vs Kingsport – LHP Brett Lee GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

The Twins blew a ninth inning lead, but Brian Dozier made a huge play with his glove and followed it with a game-winning, walk off single (after replay, of course). A night after the Elizabethton Twins opened their 2014 season, the GCL Twins season began. Ft. Myers' game in St. Lucie was postponed by rain, so Saturday will be a full day for Twins minor league baseball. There are eight games now scheduled for Saturday. We'll be sure to update you later tonight on what happened. So, for right now, enjoy what happened in the Twins farm system Friday: Download attachment: DRod.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo 5 Box Score Kris Johnson was terrific through the game’s first innings. He held Buffalo scoreless. However, he was charged with three runs in the seventh inning before being removed with two outs. Johnson went 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks. Ryan Pressly came on and got the next three outs. Then he allowed two runs on one hit and three walks. AJ Achter came in and walked in a run before getting the final out. Chris Colabello got the game going in the right direction for the Red Wings. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his second with the team. Doug Bernier went 2-4. Josmil Pinto was 0-1, but he walked three times. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 10, Reading 8 Box Score The Rock Cats used the long ball to help power them to a win. All nine Rock Cats starters had at least one hit in the game. Eddie Rosario went 3-5 with his fourth double. Nate Hanson remained hot, going 2-4 with a walk. Kyle Knudson went 2-4. Brandon Waring gave the team an early lead with his sixth home run. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 11th homer and Mike Kvasnicka hit his fourth homer in the seventh inning. The Fightin Phils had just tied the game at six in the top of the inning before those home runs. Taylor Rogers pitched well. He went 6.2 innings. He was charged with five runs, but four were unearned due to an error by Eddie Rosario (at second base). Rogers gave up nine hits, walked three and struck out three. Dan Turpen gave up a run on two hits and got just two outs. Ryan O’Rourke came on and struck out the two batters he faced. Matt Summers got the ninth inning. He gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie Box Score The game was postponed by rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 6 Box Score The Kernels grabbed a two run lead in the top of the first on a Mitch Garver two-run homer. Single runs by Kane County in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings had the team down by two. However, the Kernels tied the game with two runs in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, the Cougars scored two in the bottom of the 8th and held on for the win. Lewis Thorpe made his first start of the second half. He gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk in four innings while striking out two. Chris Mazza came on and gave up a run on two hits in two innings. He struck out three. Brandon Bixler gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in two innings to take the loss. Engelb Vielma led the offense. He was 2-3 with a walk and his ninth double. Bryan Haar went 2-4. Garver had a walk to go with his eighth home run. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Greeneville 4 Box Score Greeneville took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the E-Twins clawed their way back. A three run eighth inning gave them a lead they were able to hold on to. Sam Gibbons made the start. He went four innings and gave up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out three. Dereck Rodriguez came on and worked three scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out one. Sam Clay came on for the eighth. He got two outs, but he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. CK Irby came on and got the final out of the eighth inning and three outs in the ninth for the save. He walked two and struck out three. Jeremias Pineda, rehabbing from a hamate injury, went 2-3 with two walks and two stolen bases. He could return to Cedar Rapids soon. Max Murphy and Brett Doe each went 2-4 with a walk. After going 4-5 in his professional debut on Thursday night, Nick Gordon went 0-5 in his second game. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 6 Box Score Dubal Baez went 3-4 with a double and a stolen base. Frank Encarnacion was 2-4 with a stolen base. Amaurys Minier, playing left field, added a double. Joel Polanco also had a double. Logan Wade went 0-3 on a rehab appearance. Onesimo Hernandez started and gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in just two innings. He was replaced by Mat Batts. The lefty was charged with the loss, though he pitched well. He gave up only an unearned run on one hit in three innings. He struck out two. Zach Hayden came in and walked the two batters he faced. Both came around to score. Seth Wagner replaced him and went two innings. He gave up just two hits and no runs. Callan Pearce have up one hit, and struck out two, in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Eddie Rosario, New Britain Rock Cats SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (DH @ 4:35 CST) – Trevor May, Scott Diamond (Listen) Reading @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Jason Wheeler (Listen) Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (DH @ 3:00 CST) – Tim Shibuya, Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Ryan Eades (Listen) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:00 CST) – Chih-Wei Hu (Listen) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. [/hr] A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win over the White Sox on Friday, it means that on Saturday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

Alex Meyer had one of the best starts of his minor league career on Wednesday night. He set a career-high in strikeouts and went into the 7th inning for the first time this season. On this night, one could make the argument that his performance was the third best by a starting pitcher in the organization (though you could also make a case for best or second-best very easily, as well). Ft. Myers' Tyler Duffey and Cedar Rapids' Ethan Mildren each made a strong case as well. Also, Chris Parmelee remains on fire!! Download attachment: Alex Meyer Pensive.jpg photo by Mark Rebilas PODCAST NOTES Looking for an update on Nate Roberts? Zack Jones? Get those updates and much more Twins and minor league talk, like what is Miguel Sano up to on Tuesday night’s Twins Hangouts podcast here or download the podcast (or previous podcasts) on iTunes. Also, on last night’s Talk to Contact podcast, the guys chatted with former Twin and current Cedar Rapids hitting coach Tommy Watkins. Listen here. Here is a look at what happened in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Pawtucket 3 Box Score For the fourth time in four starts with the Red Wings, Alex Meyer received a no- decision. His most recent start was a bit of a clunker, but he was tremendous in this start. The right-hander went 6.2 innings without allowing a run. He gave up just three hits, walked three and struck out a season-high 11 batters. Reports stated that he was consistently hitting 96-97 MPH and hit 99 on a couple of pitches. Ryan Pressly came on and got the final out of the seventh inning. He came out for the eight and walked the first two batters. He was replaced by lefty Edgar Ibarra who immediately gave up a two-run double and an RBI single. Matt Guerrier came up and surrendered a single and a walk before getting the final two outs. Chris Parmelee remained on fire. He went 2-4 with two doubles. He’s now hitting .343. In his last seven games, he is 15-29 with three doubles and two home runs with four walks and just two strikeouts. Doug Bernier was also 2-4 on the night and is now hitting .385 on the season. Eduardo Nunez missed his fourth straight game with the oblique strain. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, New Hampshire 7 Box Score The Rock Cats had a 4-1 lead after two innings, but then the defense faltered, lost the lead and eventually the game. Tony Thomas had a nice night at the plate. Leading off, he went 2-4 with a walk, his fifth double and his first home run of the season. He drove in two runs. Danny Ortiz drove in the other two runs with his fourth double. DJ Baxendale gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. However, due to four errors, just two of those runs were earned. Dan Turpen came on and gave up only one hit over 2.1 scoreless innings. Ryan O’Rourke went the final two innings. He gave up only an unearned run. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Jupiter 2 Box Score The Miracle got some big hits but it was the performance of Tyler Duffey that was most instrumental in this win. He improves to 3-0 and drops his ERA to 2.82 after throwing six shutout innings on this night. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out five. Tim Shibuya came on and gave up two hits over two scoreless innings. Brian Gilbert came in for the ninth inning and gave up two runs on three hits, but he ended the game with the Miracle in the lead. Travis Harrison and his hot bat were moved to the second spot in the lineup. After a Levi Michael leadoff single in the first inning, Harrison doubled him to third. Michael scored on a Jorge Polanco single while Harrison scored on an error. In the fifth inning, Stuart Turner singled with one out and advanced to third on an AJ Pettersen double. With two outs, Harrison singled in both runners. The Miracle had just six hits, and Harrison had two of them. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 2 Box Score The Kernels gave up no hits into the 7th inning and found a way to lose this game 2-0. Ethan Mildren made the start and threw five no-hit innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. Alex Muren came on and didn’t give up a hit in the sixth. In the seventh, he allowed a one-out double. After an error and a ground out, Peoria had an unearned run and a 1-0 lead. Hudson Boyd came in for the 8th inning. He gave up a leadoff double, but the next two batters popped out. Unfortunately a passed ball and a wild pitch gave Peoria their second run. Cedar Rapids managed just five hits in the game. Logan Wade had two of them. Joel Licon walked twice. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tony Thomas, New Britain Rock Cats THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (11:05 a.m. CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Hampshire @ New Britain (9:35 a.m. CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – Brett Lee (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 CST) – Kohl Stewart (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. ~~~ Also, since the Twins beat the Rays 6-4, today (Thursday) you can get 50% off a L or XL pizza from PapaJohns.com if you use the 'TWINSWIN' promo code. ~~~ Click here to view the article

The Twins got another strong start from Kevin Correia and got a nice, easy win in Colorado, 9-3. Correia has now given up just 11 earned runs over his last seven starts (43 innings). The Twins released Red Wings starter Scott Diamond to make room for the return of Trevor May, who will start on Sunday. Diamond was the Minnesota Twins rookie of the year and pitcher of the year in 2012. Today, three Twins prospects will be participating in MLB's Futures Game at Target Field at 4:00. Twins Hangouts co-hosts Jeremy Nygard and I will be in attendance. I was asked to write about the three players for the Pioneer Press, and here is that article. It includes comments from Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil as well as Miracle pitching coach Gary Lucas and Rock Cats hitting coach Chad Allen. The rest of the minor leaguers had games to play on Saturday, so let's take a look at how they did. Download attachment: Aaron Slegers 2.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester5 , Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2 Box score The Red Wings were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the 8th inning. Josmil Pinto led off with a walk. Pedro Florimon ran for him and stole second base. After being advanced to third on a ground out, Florimon scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Chris Rahl doubled home the go-ahead run. Then Dan Rohlfing hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Red Wings some cushion. Rahl, James Beresford and Deibinson Romero each had two hits in the game. Eric Farris had two singles and a walk. Sean Gilmartin started for the Red Wings. The lefty gave up two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings. He walked three and struck out three. Ryan Pressly made quick work of things, giving up just two hits over 2.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Reading 5 Box Score Aaron Hicks' hot streak continued on Saturday. He went 3-5 and now has 13 hits in his last 10 games. Mike Kvasnicka had just one hit in this game, but it was his eighth home run of the season. Kyle Knudson went 2-3 and drove in two runs. Eddie Rosario and Stephen Wickens both doubled. Lefty Taylor Rogers continued to rack up innings. He went seven innings again on Saturday. He gave up four runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out three. Cole Johnson came on and gave up a run in the eighth inning. He left the game with the lead and two outs in the ninth, but a Matt Tolbert single and a walk made things interesting. Ryan O'Rourke came on and struck out his one batter to end the game and preserve the win. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Dunedin This game was rained out. It will be made up as part of a double-header on Sunday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Clinton 1 (7 innings) Box score Aaron Slegers went the distance in this rain-shortened game for the Kernels. The lanky right-hander went all seven innings and gave up one run. He allowed just two hits, walked one and struck out seven to even his season record at 6-6. Down 1-0, the Kernels scored two in the third. Then in the fourth, Jason Kanzler launched his eighth homer of the year, a two-run blast, that opened the game up. Mitch Garver went 2-3 with a walk and his 19th double. Alex Swim was 2-4 with his third double and is now hitting .349. Ryan Walker and Michael Quesada each added two hits. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Danville 1 Box Score It was a much-needed performance for lefty Derrick Penilla after his most recent start was disastrous (1 out recorded, 9 runs allowed). He gave up one run on three hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out one. Josue Montanez gave up a hit and a walk over two scoreless innings. Keaton Steele gave up two hits over two scoreless innings to close it out. All nine E-Twins starters had at least one hit. The first seven in the batting order each drove in a run. Max Murphy is back over .400 with a 2-4 day. Nick Gordon was 2-5 and ended the day hitting .333. Alex Real and Tyler Mautner each had a double. Trey Vavra hit his first professional home run. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Red Sox 9 Box Score It was another rough day for the GCL Twins. They managed just six hits in the game. Rafael Valera went 2-3 with a walk. Roberto Gonzalez had a single, a walk and two stolen bases. Though the score looks bad, starter Alexis Tapia had a good day. He gave up one run on two hits over five innings. He struck out six batters without issuing a walk. However, it was a rough day for Josh Guyer. He was charged with eight runs on eight hits over his two innings. He gave up a three-spot and then a five-spot. Zach Hayden came on and got two outs but issued two walks. Miles Nordgren gave up a hit but got the inning's final out. Also of note, Zach Larson went 0-2 in the game, his first rehab appearance since pulling his hamstring. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher – Aaron Slegers, Cedar Rapids Kernels Hitter – Aaron Hicks, New Britain Rock Cats SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ Rochester – Trevor May, 12:05PM CST Reading @ New Britain – Jason Wheeler, 12:35 CST Dunedin @ Fort Myers – D.J. Baxendale, TBD, DH @ 12:05PM CST Cedar Rapids @ Clinton – Lewis Thorpe, 2:00PM CST Elizabethton @ Danville – Michael Cederoth, 3:00PM CST GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Click here to view the article

Download attachment: gibson-hicks.jpg On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins announced the additions of eight players to their 40 man roster. This protects those players from being selected in the December 6 Rule 5 draft. They added pitchers Kyle Gibson, Caleb Thielbar, BJ Hermsen, Tim Wood and Michael Tonkin, along with catcher Josmil Pinto, infielder Danny Santana and outfielder Aaron Hicks. Aaron Hicks and Kyle Gibson were considered absolutes, the givens, to be added. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Aaron Hicks, the Twins 2008 first round pick out high school in California, put together a terrific 2012 campaign at AA New Britain. He filled the stat sheet quite well. Overall, he hit .286/.384/.460 with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 13 home runs, 61 RBI, 100 runs scored and 32 stolen bases. There has never been any question about his defense. He has terrific range and speed and a very strong arm. In other words, he could be a future centerfielder, but he also has a typical right fielder’s arm. Kyle Gibson was the Twins top pick in the 2009 draft out of the University of Missouri. His career began in 2010, and he raced up the Twins system. He made seven starts at Ft. Myers, 16 starts at New Britain and finished the season with three starts in Rochester. Overall, he went 11-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 26 starts. In 152 innings, he walked 39 and struckout 126. He began the 2011 season quite well. He was among the Top Twins minor league pitchers during the first two months of the season, but then he really struggled. He was hurt, and in September, he had Tommy John surgery. Gibson followed a plan and was able to return to the mound. First, he pitched nine games (14.2 innings) in the Gulf Coast League. Then he made two starts for Ft. Myers before ending the season with two starts for Rochester. He just completed his final outing in the Arizona Fall League where he showed increased velocity and sink on his pitches. He appears to be quite close. Beyond those two, I think there were several who likely had to be considered. I thought Santana, Tonkin and Hermsen would be added, and they were, but three surprise names were added as well. Danny Santana just turned 22 years old. He hit .286/.329/.410 (.739) with 21 doubles, 9 triples and 8 home runs in his first season in Ft. Myers. He drove in 60 runs and scored 70 runs. He stole 17 bases. He is a prototypical shortstop, not real big, great speed and a big arm. BJ Hermsen was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2012 when he combined to go 12-6 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 26 starts and 162.2 innings, he gave up 161 hits, walked 30 and struck out 87. Michael Tonkin will turn 23 next week. He was the 30th round pick in 2008 and is Jason Kubel’s brother-in-law. Began at Beloit and went 3-0 with 6 saves, an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 0.97. After MWL All-Star game, promoted to Ft. Myers. Went 1-1 with 6 saves, a 2.97 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Overall, in 69.1 innings, he gave up just 53 hits, walked 20 and struckout 97. Caleb Thielbar came to the Twins in August of 2011 from the St. Paul Saints. He took advantage of the opportunity. The lefty started this season in Ft. Myers, quickly moved up to New Britain and then quickly advanced to Rochester. His delivery is interesting and he pitches a lot like Glen Perkins (just in the low-90s instead of the mid-90s). Tim Wood just came to the Twins a few weeks ago as a minor league free agent. The Twins must believe that someone would have selected the hard-thrower in the Rule 5 draft as they did protect him. He was the International League Relief Pitcher of the Year last year, for what that’s worth. Josmil Pinto had a very nice season last year in Ft. Myers. He ended by playing a handful of games in New Britain. He is a catcher who has thrown out a good percentage of would-be base stealers, but he is on this list for his bat. --- Bruce Pugh is probably the biggest surprise omission from the list. Had he been healthy this year, Adrian Salcedo would have been a given to protect. What are your thoughts? The Twins now have a full, 40 man roster. These eight players need to remain on the 40 man roster until spring training, so if and when the Twins add some free agents, or make some trades, they may have to drop some others that are on the roster. Being honest, I am more than a little shocked at the number of players that the Twins chose to add to the 40 man roster, and I can’t necessarily say that as a positive thing. It may be good. We will see next year if Tim Wood can finally figure things out, and if Thielbar has a chance. The Twins now have five catchers on their 40 man roster. That said, the five players that I thought the Twins were most likely to add were added, and that’s important. Click here to view the article

The Twins took a tough 4-3 loss on Sunday afternoon to fall to 2-7 on the young season. The Twins arrived in New York City on Sunday night and will play four games against the Yankees starting on Monday. They then go to Tampa to play the Rays before getting to play the Red Sox. We all knew it would be a tough start to the season. It’s definitely shaping up to be just that. Down on the farm, the Twins affiliates went 3-1, and at least there are plenty of storylines to follow.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Liam Hendrik’s first start was terrific. He mixed his pitches well and gave up just one run in six innings. The one run came on a Mike Napoli home run on a pitch he threw just once in the game, a “spinner.” Clete Thomas was inserted right into the Twins lineup. He was in right field and batted eighth. In his first at bat, he hit a long fly ball, caught at the base of the fence in right centerfield, just in front of the out-of-town scoreboard. In his second at bat, he hit one well over the out-of-town scoreboard. The two-run homer off of Neftali Feliz gave the Twins a 2-1 lead. Jamey Carroll added an RBI single to make it 3-1. Jared Burton pitched a solid 7th inning. Glen Perkins entered in the 8th. A walk, a triple and a Josh Hamilton blast later, the Twins were down 4-3. Alex Burnett came in and did well. But in the end, Joe Nathan came in to face his former team in the bottom of the 9th and recorded the save. Here is a look at the Twins minor league games from Sunday: ROCHESTER 1, LEHIGH VALLEY 3 The Red Wings got some solid pitching but very little offense in this loss to the now 8-2 Lehigh Valley IronPigs. PJ Walters started and gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. He issued no free passes and struck out four. Jeff Manship threw two scoreless innings, issuing a hit and a walk and striking out one. Matt Carson went 2-4 with his fourth double. Matt Rizzotti and Rene Rivera each had two hits. Brian Dozier was 0-4 with a walk, ending his nine game hitting streak. Aaron Bates was 0-4. It was the first game of 2012 in which he did not get on base. Going back to 2011, he has reached base now in 28 out of his last 30 games. ROSTER NOTES – Brian Dinkelman was officially put on the 7-Day Disabled List. It is expected that Ben Revere will be in the Red Wings lineup on Monday. NEW BRITAIN 3, NEW HAMPSHIRE 0 Luke French has been terrific in his first three Rock Cats starts. The 26 year old with big league experience should be succeeding, but after seven shutout innings on Sunday, he has now given up just two runs in 18.2 innings on the season. Deolis Guerra pitched a perfect eighth, and Lester Oliveros records the save with a scoreless ninth. Pedro Florimon went 2-3 with a walk. Evan Bigley went 2-4 and drove in a run. Chris Herrmann hit his first home run of the year. FT. MYERS MIRACLE 11, JUPITER 6 Marty Popham was the beneficiary of a big, seven-run fourth inning by the Miracle. Lance Ray had a double, and then there were RBI singles by Danny Santana, Levi Michael, Angel Morales and Dan Rohlfing. They added a few more and held on. Popham gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings to “earn” his first win of the season. Jhon Garcia gave up a run on three hits in three innings. He struckout three and walked none. Edgar Ibarra gave up a run on two hits in the ninth. Rohlfing went 3-5 on the day. Josmil Pinto was 2-4 with a walk and his fourth and fifth doubles. Six other Miracle hitters contributed a hit. BELOIT 5, CLINTON 2 The Snappers got RBI groundouts from Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano in the first inning. In the second inning, they got RBI fielder’s choices from JD Williams and AJ Pettersen. However, they made the lead 5-0 in the fifth when Miguel Sano hit a long, towering home run, his fourth of the season. Jhonathan Goncalves went 2-5. Matt Summers went the first 4.2 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and three walks. Michael Tonkin came in and was perfect for an impressive 3.1 innings of relief. He improved to 2-0. Corey Williams came in for the 9th and recorded his third save with a scoreless inning. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, April 15, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Josmil Pinto Download attachment: JosmilPinto2.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Luke French Download attachment: LukeFrench.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Monday, April 16, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre – LHP Scott Diamond vs Dellin Betances (remember that the Yankees AAA team is playing a large number of their games in Rochester while their stadium is worked on this season. So the Red Wings will be the visiting team in their home stadium.) New Britain @ Portland – LHP Andrew Albers Ft. Myers @ Jupiter – RHP Manuel Soliman Beloit vs Kane County – RHP Madison Boer --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

As you know, I was able to spend four days in Cedar Rapids last week. I arrived in time for their Meet the Kernels event at Perfect Game Field. At a press conference, hitting coach Tommy Watkins introduced me to manager Jake Mauer. Over the next few days, I had a chance to talk to Watkins, pitching coach Gary Lucas and Mauer quite a bit. Below, you can read Part 1 of a two-part Q&A with the Kernels manager.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Before we start, here is a little background. Jake Mauer is the older brother of Twins catcher Joe Mauer. The younger sibling was the first overall pick out of Cretin-Derham Hall in 2011. The elder Mauer was the Twins 23rd round selection the same year after helping the University of St. Thomas to a national championship. He spent the remainder of that 2001 season in Elizabethton. He spent the 2002 season in Quad Cities of the Midwest League. In 2003, he played the full season in Ft. Myers. In 2004, he moved up to AA New Britain. He was hurt much of the 2005 season. In 2006, he moved into the coaching world. He managed the Twins Gulf Coast League team starting in 2008 for two years. In 2010, the then-31 year old became the manager of the Ft. Myers Miracle where he has spent the past three season. In 2013, Mauer is being entrusted to lead some of the most talented prospects in the Twins farm system. On Saturday, Mauer was gracious enough to spend a half-hour with me after batting practice talking about several topics. Today, I’m posting the first half of that discussion, and tomorrow, I will post Part 2, so be sure to check back. Again, this interview took place on Saturday morning. The Kernels had won their home opener 9-7, and then won on Friday night in walk-off fashion. In other words, this was before the loss on Saturday afternoon, the combined no-hitter on Sunday, another win on Monday and the rain/snow-outs the last couple of days. PART 1 What is the hardest part of managing at a different place and different level? Jake Mauer (JM): A new city. Getting to know the city, a place to live, get comfortable. Meeting a new front office, obviously, but everybody here has been outstanding. Facility is great. Town is fantastic. The front office has been even better. Different level? These guys aren’t quite as experienced. Granted, maybe it’s a year, but that can make a difference. These guys have to learn to prepare and to play every day. For most, it’s their first full season, and you’re dealing with inclement weather at times. There’s some adjustments in this league. This is a great league, I think, for a first full season for these guys because the towns are a little bigger, they play in front of some more people. These guys are still kids. You kind of have to keep an eye on all of it. I don’t remember being 21. JM: That’s just it. Most of these guys are only 20, 21 years old, sophomore, junior in college. We have some 19 year olds that would be freshmen. It’s a life, not only on the field, but off the field. They’ve got to eat right. Make sure they’re washing their laundry. Figuring out how to get to a ballpark and all that stuff. Do you get advice from anybody as a manager? JM: Oh yeah, you talk to everybody. From Gene Glynn to Ramon Borrego, we’re all in it together obviously. And, having Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor as a resource is pretty good. Having them around every day in spring training was outstanding. You’ve got everybody, Lep (minor league coordinator Joel Lepel). Everybody will help. We’re not afraid. There’s no, “we’re on our own island” here. There’s none of that, all the way through, from Gene to Ramon. Do you have a good Tom Kelly story? JM: I’ve actually known Tom. I actually played ball with his son at St. Thomas, so I’ve known him even before we were in pro ball. Really, when I was a player, it was starting to get into his last year as a manager on the big league side. Actually, I’ve been around him more as a coach and manager. I just like to ask him questions. Coaching third base, places to go. Obviously he was a third base coach before he was a manager. Some thoughts that he has. Managing bullpens. You bounce certain things off of him that come up. Ask him what he thinks and his opinion. Obviously that’s a pretty nice resource to have. Are there things that Joe asks you, or are there things you will call Joe about to help you as a manager? JM: It’ll be more catching stuff that I’ll ask him. Things that he likes to do. I see something on TV, for instance, they change their signs with a runner on second, just their thought process and then try to get that through with everybody else, to tell them what they’re doing up there. We talk a lot about baseball obviously, no doubt about it. But it’s in general terms. How he’s feeling. He asks how a lot of these guys are doing. When he comes down to spring training, he knows a lot of those guys in there. He recognizes names. Buxton made an impression on him when he went up there for a big league game, and some of these younger guys that he’s been around. 2 hits, 2 stolen bases, not a bad impression. Yeah, and played a real good centerfield. Kenny Vargas is another one he asks about, that he’s seen in a big league game. A lot of our guys that have come up through the system that are in the big leagues are pretty familiar with a lot of these kids at every other level. They see them throughout, and you hear names and stuff like that, so there is an interest. Do you get Head and Shoulders free? JM: We used to. Yeah, we used to. (Lots of laughter) Joe was the #1 overall pick. Buxton was a #2 pick. Any thoughts yet on if there are any similarities? JM: You know, Seth, their personalities are pretty similar. They’re quieter guys. I don’t think they let a lot of people in right away. I think that’s maybe a good thing with all the attention. I think the biggest thing, too, is they just go out and play. I don’t think they necessarily believe what everybody writes and what’s said. You still have to go out and play the game. That’s the most important thing. I would say there are a lot of similarities, personality-wise, between the two. They both have high expectations, but that comes with the territory, but I think both of them, the way that they think, and mentally, how tough they are, I think they both handle it pretty good. On your staff, what are the coaching responsibilities? JM: Tommy and I will share most of the hitters. Tommy pretty much takes the outfielders, and I take the infielders. You’ve seen, Tommy keeps a spray chart, which is good, so we can position guys. Tommy has free reign to move guys as well, if he sees someone in the outfield that isn’t moving, he’ll holler and get it straight. More of the pre-game stuff, I’ll usually go out and take care of the defensive stuff, and Tommy will do the offensive stuff in the cages. That’s just kind of how it’s been. Got to be in two places at one time, so we get a lot of stuff done, which that’s nice. Luke (Gary Lucas)? Really, the pitchers are Luke’s. He’s there in the trenches with them every day. He knows a lot about how they tick so I rely on him quite a bit. Ultimately, it comes down to being my decision on who goes out there and who does what. I bounce a lot of things off of them, and they bounce a lot of things off of me. We’re pretty comfortable. He was the pitching coach when I was in Quad Cities, so I’ve known Luke for ten years, and I’ve known Tommy for even longer. I think it starts with the staff, as far as team chemistry. If the staff isn’t getting along, I think the players can feel it. We like to have fun. We’re pretty laid back, and I think that helps. Lead by example, and when it’s time to play, it’s time to play. Here we go. Observationally, I see a generally positive and optimistic and fun atmosphere with your team, but when the game approaches, there is a different mentality. How do you help young kids turn that off and on? JM: Absolutely. Some of these guys, it’ll be the first time they experience failure. In high school and college, they were always the man, head and shoulders above everybody else. Now when they get thrown into this, it’s… you know, you say ‘big fish in a small pond,’ now you’re in the ocean. There are players from all over the world that they’re competing against. So it can be overwhelming at times. You try to stay positive. You let them know that we’ve gone through what they’re going through. They’re not different. Everybody’s gone through it. Let’s work through it. Let’s stay positive. Bad things are going to happen. It’s part of the game, but how do we come out the next day? How do we make the next pitch? How do we take the next at bat? That’s what a professional mentality they’ve got to start to understand. We’ve got 138 more (games) left. We’ve got a lot of games left. They’re not always going to be as exciting as the last two nights, obviously. When failure does happen, like when (Steven) Gruver had a walk, a run scored, he was kind of beating himself up about it. So, let’s look at the positives. That’s not to say forget about the walk, but he threw three excellent innings, dominated them. Let’s learn from the walk, but let’s not harp on it. The language barrier has to be an issue, especially with young players. The most important thing is that you try to make them feel like they’re part of the team. They’re more comfortable with other Latin players just because they speak the same language and a lot of them come from the same background. In our group of guys, like a JD Williams, (Drew) Leachman, (Travis) Harrison, they make really good efforts to include everybody and I think that’s important. Some of these guys aren’t old enough to play winter ball. It’s a different thing. You go down there and get to experience that. Well, that’s what those guys are experiencing here. It’s not only in baseball that they’re competing, but the culture. It’s different. Being able to find that and get adjusted up here. It’s obviously cooler. In the Midwest, there’s not a lot of Spanish-speaking folks up here, compared to in a Ft. Myers or something like that. It’s getting that, but they also need to make an effort to learn English. And our guys do. I saw the video. Outstanding. And then to be comfortable. When they talk, they don’t want to sound like they don’t know what they’re talking about, if that makes sense. A confidence. JM: It’s a confidence with using it, and that’s the biggest thing. We had (Candido) Pimentel and (Jorge) Polanco, and Polanco speaks pretty good English. He’s a quiet guy. Really smart kid. Really smart. Pimentel’s not as comfortable. So we’re trying to explain and go over objectives. “So, Pimentel, what are your goals and objectives?” Polanco asks him. He starts to say them in Spanish. I said, “No, you tell me in English.” Well, you’ve got to try. You know, you’ve got to try. We’re not going to laugh at you. Try, see what happens. We can help if you need. Just try. The Twins value family and character a lot, and it is shown by the players, the coaches, and their families. JM: It comes into play in a game like last night. That bullpen guy (Dakota Bacus) struck nine of us out in five innings. Three innings of not even putting a ball in play. We could have hung our heads. Walk. Stole second. Hit him in the back. Rolls out. Now they score a run on a dribbler. We could have folded up shop. But I think that’s that chemistry stuff. They’re all pulling for each other. No one put their head down and give them this one. That’s the mentality here. I think that starts with team chemistry. Obviously, you want to Develop #1, but you can develop and win. That’s preparing guys to get to Minnesota. You want guys to get to Minnesota who have experienced winning. That just helps. There’s no panic out there in the last inning. You know, Pimentel stands out in the cold for eight innings and scores on a double from first. Easily. JM: Yeah. Without a doubt. So, it’s stuff like that. It’s being prepared. Have an understanding that just because your name isn’t in the starting lineup. Adam Walker may have to come in and pinch hit here in the ninth inning, so he has to be ready. Are you a prospect? Are you looking to move up the organizational ladder? JM: I would like to get to the big leagues, Seth, any way possible. Some guys that got to the big leagues… Jim Dwyer is the hitting coach in Ft. Myers and played for 18 years in the big leagues. He’s not looking to get back to the big leagues. He likes the road trips. He just loves being around baseball. There’s other guys, like Tommy Watkins. who is probably in the same boat as me and would like to get to the big leagues again at some point, whatever capacity it is. There are only 30 managerial jobs, and a lot of guys are recycled. So, to get the opportunity to manage that would be outstanding, but hitting coach, it doesn’t matter. You try to think. You do the right things and get prepared enough to where, if there is an opportunity that comes along, that you’re ready to hopefully seize it. SS: Best part of managing at these levels. JM: The teaching aspect. The day to day. Getting into the trenches with the boys, and that’s kind of a cliché, but the day-to-day stuff that nobody sees. You’re out there four hours before the game hitting ground balls and working on footwork and making throws and trying to develop not only physical tools, but mental tools, and how they apply. That’s what gets exciting, when you see a guy start to get up into those higher levels. Aaron Hicks. (Ben) Revere, we had. Guys like that start to surface, and you see them doing things that you worked on and they needed to improve upon that they’re starting to do. When you see that light bulb go on, that’s probably the most rewarding thing. --- That’s it for today, a lot of information to take in. Tomorrow, I’ll be back with the rest of the interview, so be sure to check that. I’ll ask Jake Mauer about what he saw in Aaron Hicks. I’ll talk to him about bunting, left-handed pitching, winning versus development, promotions and much more. Thanks again to all those with the Kernels who were so great. I can’t encourage people to make a trip to Cedar Rapids enough to watch this team play. I made the trek last week. I’m hoping to get there at least one more time this summer. I’ll be joining the Territory Train in late June to spend a couple of fun-filled days watching Kernel baseball. If you’re interested in joining that trip, click here. View full article

Last night in the 8th inning, Denard Span came out of the game because he was feeling dizzy. He wasn’t feeling well. Seeing Darin Mastroianni in the lineup set off a firestorm on Twitter. A night earlier, Trevor Plouffe was abruptly replaced by Brian Dozier as a pinch hitter. The question there was whether he was sick or injured. Download attachment: Denard Span Twins.jpg With Span, there was a far different discussion for one big reason. Rather than thinking that maybe Span wasn’t feeling well in the nearly-100 degree weather, the question jumped to “Has Span been traded?” Was he going to the Yankees, or the Rangers, or the Reds, or the Nationals? What would the Twins be getting in return? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The trade deadline is in nine days. Denard Span and Francisco Liriano are the two names most frequently mentioned in trade rumors. The Twins are far out of playoff contention, and that means that they will be (and should be) in sell mode. That means that any veteran on the roster could be dealt, and that it could happen at any time, even during a game. The sad thing is that once people found out that he left the game because he felt dizzy, there were a few who thought, “Great! That will minimize what the Twins can get for Span!” Stay Classy! It’s sometimes important to take a step back at the trade deadline and realize that all these rumors and then any actual trades affect and stress players in ways that go far beyond the baseball field. Span came to the Twins when he signed in August of 2002 as the team’s #1 draft pick (20th overall). He gave up a college football scholarship to play with the Twins. He debuted with the Twins in 2008 and has been the team’s leadoff hitter ever since. Liriano came to the Twins following the 2003 season in one of Terry Ryan’s best trades. Liriano was traded to the Twins, along with Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser, in the AJ Pierzynski trade. He debuted with the Twins in September of 2005. Johan Santana won the AL Cy Young Award in 2006, but for a two month period, Liriano was the best pitcher in baseball. Unfortunately, he tore his UCL and had Tommy John surgery. It took until 2010 for Liriano to regain any semblance of his form. However, 2011 and the first two months of 2012 were very frustrating for the left-hander. However, in the last two months since rejoining the rotation, he has been one of baseball’s pitchers. A year ago, Denard Span was on the Disabled List with his concussion yet he still was involved in several trade rumors. Span did not want to get traded, and he really struggled with the rumors and the process. Although he has seen teammates come and go, Span has been in this organization for a decade. There is a comfort factor. There are relationships with teammates and coaches. Span has developed a great fan following due to his play on the field and his work in the community and his willingness to interact with fans at the ballpark and on Twitter. Although he lives in Tampa during the offseason, Span also knows that part of who he is is a Minnesota Twin. The life of a professional athlete may not be as great as we all assume in a number of ways. Yes, the money and the travel and the fame and those types of things are great. However, when a player is drafted, he has no choice in where he plays. In the minor leagues, players get paid very minimally and travel on buses. Once they hit the big leagues, they have almost no say in their income until they have almost three years of service time. They have no say in where they play for the first six years of their career. If they become a free agent, they finally have the power to choose where they will play based on factors from contract offered to cities in which they want to live. However, until a player has 10-5 rights (10 years of MLB service time, and the past five with the same team), he can be traded at any time whether he wants to be or not. Baseball is a business. It is a business that pays its performers very well. It provides them with many other perks, as well. But I also think that sometimes fans forget that these are people too. People with feelings. Some players outwardly handle rumors better than others. As a Twins fan, I like the fact that Francisco Liriano is saying that he wants to stay with the Twins. I have no problem with Denard Span being affected by the thought of leaving the organization that he has been with for a decade. Don’t get me wrong… It is Terry Ryan’s job as GM to not let that sentiment and emotion go into his decision-making as he is determining what needs to be done for the betterment of the Twins organization. I don’t want Denard Span to be traded either, but I also understand the he is the kind of player that can actually bring back some players that the organization needs to replenish its farm system. Hopefully, that will bring the Twins back to contention more quickly. In the same way, Terry Ryan needs to make a decision regarding Josh Willingham. How much return is enough to make up for the hit the team could take for trading a guy they just signed to a multi-year contract. By all reports, Willingham is a great guy and he and his family have really fit in with the Twins and in the community. Regarding Jamey Carroll, Ryan must determine the value of freeing up the Carroll's contract versus what Carroll can bring as a mentor to the Twins infield next year, which could have Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon in the middle? Like Span, Glen Perkins has the type of contract (and talent) that could make him very valuable to a contender. However, he is from here. His wife is from here and they live in Minnesota year-round. It would affect a lot of lives to deal Perkins. Yes, that is the business side of it, but the personal side makes it tough to do. Justin Morneau has the kind of contract that would be great to get off the books: $14 million for 2013. Morneau and his wife just had their second baby. She is from Minnesota and they have made Minnesota one of their homes. Morneau has done a lot for the Twins organization over the last 8-9 years, including winning an MVP, hitting a lot of home runs, driving in a bunch of runs, becoming a very good first baseman and much more. Loyalty comes into play when the thought of trading Justin Morneau comes up. The July trade deadline is a lot of fun for fans. It’s fun to read the rumors. It’s fun to think about what prospects the Twins could receive in return for various players. It’s exciting. From a team perspective, they need to do what is right short-term and long-term for the organization. For the players, it has to be difficult from so many standpoints. Loyalty. Being happy and comfortable in an environment. Family and Friends. Winning opportunity. Not the least of which is trying to feel like more than a trade chip to be dealt. Click here to view the article

Tonight in New York, the NBA will hold its annual player draft. In Minnesota, the talk is of Flip Saunders and which direction he will choose to lead the Wolves in his first draft. For St. Cloud native Nate Wolters, it will be one of the most important nights of his life. The 6-5 point guard, who played his prep hoops at St. Cloud Tech and college ball for the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, is expected to be drafted sometime between the late first round and the middle of the second round. Nate Wolters is also a huge fan of the Minnesota Twins. Recently, I had the chance to chat with Wolters about the draft, his collegiate career, and his Twins fandom![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Wolters said, “I went to a couple of Twins games every year growing up. Torii Hunter was my favorite player as a kid. I’ve always been a big Twins fan, but the last couple of years, I started watching just about every game even though it has been tough to watch at times!” So, what is it about baseball and the Twins that Wolters really enjoys? “I love following the Twins because they play every day. They lose one game and don’t have to wait long to see them play again! (It’s) not like the Vikings’ losses where you’ve got to think about it for the whole week!” He added, “The Twins just seem like a good group of guys and are easy to root for. Even though they were supposed to really struggle this year, they are only six or seven back and anything can happen in baseball.” We’ll put him on the spot with some more baseball questions later in this article, but Wolters is about to become a member of the National Basketball Association tonight, so let’s talk some hoops. He was an all-state basketball performer at St. Cloud Tech where he didn’t play baseball. “I actually played tennis as a spring sport. I played baseball until, like, 6th grade, but I was terrible at it so I thought I should stick to basketball.” I think it’s fair to say that he made the right choice for himself. “Basketball has always been my favorite sport and something I spent most of my time doing.” The always-humble Wolters continued, “I was always a good player for my grade. I knew I could possibly have a chance to play in college if I worked hard enough.” He got that opportunity and became a Jackrabbit. “I picked South Dakota State because I wanted to have the opportunity to play Division I basketball. I loved the coaching staff! Coach Nagy gave me a ton of freedom and had a lot of confidence in me, so I knew I would have the chance to play right away.” As a freshman, he averaged 24 minutes and scored 10.5 points. He scored 19.5 per game as a sophomore, 21.2 points per game as a junior, and as a senior, he averaged 22.3. In those three years, the point guard averaged 6.1, 5.8, and 5.7 assists per game (which led the Summit League each year). He shot 46% overall as a senior and 38% from three point range. He shot over 81% from the free throw line. “I had a great experience there, and making the NCAA tourney the last two years was really special for the whole state of South Dakota and the program.” As well as he and his Jackrabbit teams played, there are always questions about the level of competition. “Coming from a mid-major like South Dakota State, I really never thought I would be in the position I am in today. Our team success has given me a lot of recognition that I otherwise would not get.” Since the end of the college season, he has been very busy. “I have had twelve team workouts with NBA teams. It’s been a ton of travel, but it has been an amazing experience. I’m hoping it will all payoff on Thursday.” I had put Wolters’ Twins knowledge to the test, and he passed! I asked him about the Twins farm system and future. He said, “I don’t know all the minor league guys like you, but heard great things about the farm system. I can’t wait for Buxton and Sano to come up. The future looks really bright with Arcia, Hicks, Buxton and Sano. It will be interesting to see how Gibson does the rest of the season and how Meyer, Berrios and May develop.” Wolters brought up another point that I really appreciate. “I definitely have a ton of respect for baseball players. They go through so many years in the minors to finally make it to the majors. It has to be very satisfying.” A friend of his understands well how long and full of ups and downs that process can be. “I’m so happy for Caleb Thielber, who is a friend of mine. (It took) Lots of hard work and dedication by him to get to where he is. He is making the most of it.” The hope from Wolters would be not to have to endure that! “My goal is to go in the first round. But, whatever happens, I just want to go to a team that is a good fit and somewhere that I can grow as a basketball player.” I am a guy who enjoys watching drafts. Obviously here at Twins Daily, we put a lot of time and effort into the MLB draft. Although basketball and football don’t pique my interest in the same way as baseball, I can still watch their drafts start to finish. Getting to know an NBA draft prospect from the area who happens to be a huge Twins fan gives us another reason to watch. When will Nate Wolters be drafted? In looking at several mock drafts and rankings, I have seen him taken anywhere from 21st overall to 46th. There seems to be little question that he will be drafted, and his goal of being a first rounder if certainly very possible. Regardless, it is great to see a guy get an opportunity to live out his dream. Hopefully he’ll be drafted in the first round and go to a place where he’ll get a great opportunity. Twins Daily would like to wish him the best on Thursday night. And who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to see him at some Twins games the rest of this summer! View full article

Day 2 in Beloit was a good day. Then again, it was a Friday and I wasn’t at work and it was a day all about baseball. How could it be bad?! In today's blog, I'll talk about the Snappers 8-1 win over Brian Buchanan and the Kane County Cougars. There are a lot of observations on players before and during the game and much more. This if a fun team to watch with a lot of good players and people! [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Woke up fairly early and wrote yesterday’s Day 1 blog. Realized that it is now August which means that I need to write up my July minor league hitter, starting pitcher and relief pitcher of the month blogs. That means, doing quite a bit of research online. Expect to see those written over the next few days, and I was quite surprised for some reason at all of the very strong hitting during the month. Maybe it is something about the bats warming up as the temperatures continued to rise? That said, there were plenty of very good pitching performances for the month as well. Anyway, there is not a ton to do in Beloit. I’m sure there are things, but I haven’t really found there. We did go to lunch at Applebees, and I definitely recommend the Sizzlin’ N’Allins Skillet!! From there, we went shopping for shoes. I haven’t bought shoes in a long time. My sandals are two years old and have no more sole. My work shoes both have cracks in the bottom from over-use. So, although it took us a while to find Payless, I got two pairs of sandals and new work shoes! Alright, you probably couldn’t care less about my shopping experiences in Beloit, so let’s talk about baseball-related things. We left for the ballpark at about 3:15 but had to make a quick Walmart stop. My car had a temperature gauge in it and as we drove to Walmart, it read 100 degrees. That number got up to 102. Now, as we drove by the bank and later listened to the radio over the speakers at the ball park, it said they reached 95 degrees. Either way, it was incredibly hot. When we arrived at the ballpark, we were again greeted by Chrissy Scaffidi. The Snappers work with a staff of six in their front office, and it is remarkable how hard they work. The grounds crew is incredible and have the field looking great. GM Matt Bosen, in his first year in that role after several previous years in other roles, coordinates it all and does it well. He spent a good 20 minutes chatting with us again on Friday afternoon about all kinds of topics. But he also worked with the grounds crew before, after and even during the game. When we arrived, the Snappers were all on the field. And everyone was working on something. They ran a big round of infield and outfield. Then the pitchers came to the field and they worked through some Pitchers Fielding Practice, but it also turned into another full round of situational infield where manager Nelson Prada would hit the ball anywhere on the field to see where people would go based on runners on base and outs and such. It was very well run. Tommy Watkins walked around the field encouraging players and giving pointers. Gary Lucas talked to the pitchers who were fielding their position, covering first base or backing up a base. Then came batting practice. Again, I can watch BP all day. The first group included Nate Roberts, Wang-Wei Lin, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas. With Roberts and Lin, it was line drive after line drive. Rosario hits the ball so well, and it’s remarkable, his ability to wait on a pitch and drive everything the opposite way. His bat speed is incredible, and despite his size (probably 5-9, maybe 175 pounds), he is able to generate incredible power to all fields. Sano just hits everything hard in batting practice. Yes, he can hit a few out to dead center field or over the scoreboard in left center, but he works on his swing and hits a lot of line drives. He is just a good all-around hitter, or will be. Vargas is still a little more raw. He has amazing power potential, but he does have a long swing. That said, he does work on staying short to the ball and taking a single to left. He definitely works. During batting practice, the infielders do their work between pitches, getting ground balls from fungo hitters. I’ve likely said it before, but watching AJ Pettersen play shortstop is really something to see. He has very good range, but great hands. He also transfers the ball from glove to throwing hand remarkably quickly and makes a strong accurate throw to first or to second. When you have two raw, works-in-progress in Sano and Rosario at 3B and 2B, respectively, it’s got to be nice to have such a steady glove in the middle of the infield. Before the game, as players were starting to head to the field, it was great to get to meet reliever Dallas Gallant. People told me how nice and polite the kid was, and that was all quite true. I have talked to him via Twitter several times while he was rehabbing from his Tommy John surgery. Consider that he had the procedure done last April. He came to minor league camp in March and although his bullpens were closely monitored, he was pitching at 100% by the start of Extended Spring Training. He pitched in a handful of games at Elizabethton, but quickly moved up to Beloit. He’s excited and happy to be playing at this level. He pitched in last night’s game and I’ll get to more on that in a bit. One of the things I’ve enjoyed about my Beloit trips is the people. The front office people have been great, but so have the fans. There are a couple of families that I won’t mention by name, but who are at every game and who come over and chat every day. It’s great, and I feel almost at home in Pohlman Field thanks to these people. Last night was pretty neat because no less than three people came up to me during the course of the game and introduced themselves to me. One gentleman said he came from about 40 mile south of Beloit to see the game. Another brought his son and came from 40 miles north of Beloit. It was fun to talk to them and hear about how much they enjoy Twins Daily. I hope a few more people come out to the ball park tonight, and definitely feel free to come up and say hi! Alright, to the game, right? Matt Tomshaw got the start for the Snappers. He was coming off of a really rough start, but he has been very good since the Twins drafted him very late in the 2011 draft. The lefty doesn’t throw particularly hard, but he has good control. It took an inning or two, but his curveball is very good. Just as important, he seems to throw it at different speeds. Bert Blyleven is always talking about adding and subtracting from pitchers and Tomshaw does that well. His curveball was good and actually made his fastball look faster than it was. He apparently has a six-pitch mix that includes a version of a knuckleball which he threw a few times. He gave up just one run over seven innings. Very impressive. Dallas Gallant came in for the eighth inning, and was very impressive. He throws really hard, probably mid-90s. But he also threw a slider that was very sharp and appeared to break quite late. He told me later that he normally throws that pitch at 84-85, but it was ‘only’ at 81-82 last night. Well, again, with it’s sharp break, it was a very impressive pitch. He pitched an easy 1-2-3 inning. Corey Kimes came in for the 9th inning. It was his Midwest League and Snappers debut after starting the season in Extended Spring Training and then starting for the Elizabethton Twins. Last week, he pitched five shutout innings and was promoted immediately following the game. He is a big kid, but doesn’t throw remarkably hard. He looked a little nervous, but threw the ball well. He did walk a batter, but the game ended on a very nice 5-4-3 (Sano to Rosario to Vargas) double play. Speaking of Sano’s defense. He did not have any errors, but it wasn’t exactly smooth. I mentioned yesterday that watching him field ground balls at 3B and SS before the game, in batting practice or infield practice, he can do it. You can tell he’s been a shortstop his whole life. In the game, it doesn’t always translate. However, he is knocking the ball down, picking it up, and using a remarkably strong arm to still get hitters out at first. I don’t think I can over-state just how strong his arm is. Will he be a future third baseman in the big leagues? I can’t honestly answer that now, but I do 100% agree with keeping him there as long as possible. His arm is just so incredible. Sano was 2-5 last night. He had two RBI singles, struck out twice and then grounded into a double play in the 8th frame. From sitting right behind home plate, you can see the work he has put in to stop swinging at breaking pitches, those sliders down-and-away. Not every time, but the pitch recognition is happening. On the double play, however, he was a little slow to get out of the batter’s box after the swing. Not a lack of effort, just seemingly a footwork thing. But, he hustled down the line and showed great speed. In fact, he beat the relay throw to first by at least a half step, yet he was called out. Clearly a bad call and from his spot in the third base coach’s box, manager Nelson Prada yelled, “That wasn’t even close! That wasn’t even close! That wasn’t even close!” The third time he said it, the umpire tossed him from the game. I kid you not, that is all he said before being tossed. Now, at that point, he ran out to shallow left field where he let the umpire know a little more about how he felt about his call. It may be good that we were unable to hear all of his words at that point. The music was playing on the speakers by then but, wisely, Three Blind Mice was not the song selected! Eddie Rosario had yet another three hit game. In four games since his return from injury, he has three, three-hit games and is 11-20 (.550) during that stretch. It’s just incredible. Stephen Wickens was a late-round pick last year as a four-year college player. He is a Canadian but went to Florida Gulf Coast. He went 3-5 and has been hitting very well since coming up from Elizabethton. He can play both middle infield positions. Last night, he was the DH and went 3-5 with two doubles. Nate Roberts is an incredible lead-off hitter with an uncanny ability to get on base. He isn’t a big guy, but he is hitting .295 with a .438 on base percentage. He takes great at bats and really knows the strike zone. He is happy to get hit by pitches. He then is fast enough to steal bases as well. He’s a perfect leadoff hitter and just a solid offensive player. This is a very fun team to watch. The offense is pretty strong. The pitchers may not be the big prospects or big names, but they are getting the job done, and that bullpen has some huge arms that are very intriguing going forward. Following the game, I was able to talk to Drew Leachman. He was the Snappers best hitter for much of early July, but he’s been in a bit of a slump of late. He was 1-3 in this game with a walk. He came through with a clutch, RBI single in the 7th frame that really broke the game open. It was a nine-pitch at bat in which he fought off some very tough pitches. I told him that it looked like a huge weight came off his shoulders when that ball dropped in and he was standing at 1B. A group that included Twins Daily contributor Jeremy Nygaard, Dallas Gallant, AJ Pettersen and his brother Josh went to Applebees, watched the Olympics and had a great time. One thing I guess I didn’t realize was that Pettersen and Gallant played together in Hyannis in the Cape Cod League. Lots of stories were told. It was a lot of fun! There are a lot of really good people in the Twins organization. Got back to the hotel room about 12:05, and I think I was sleeping by about 12:09. I don’t think I woke up even once until after 7 a.m. Tonight, the Snappers are scheduled to play Wisconsin. There is a chance for a thunderstorm and its highest likelihood for hitting is between six and nine o’clock tonight. If it were to be rained out tonight, it would be too bad because they have a fireworks show after the game, and those are cool! On Sunday, it is Prince Fielder bobblehead day. Fielder played in Beloit in 2002 and 2003. Download attachment: Beloit BP.jpg Click here to view the article

Two weeks ago, my brother and I made the trek south to Cedar Rapids to watch a couple of Kernels games. It was fun to catch up with several people there and also talk with a few people from the Twin Cities area who had the same idea. Following batting practice one day, I had the chance to sit down in the Kernels dugout with their pitching coach Gary Lucas to talk a little about some of his and the Twins philosophies on pitching and pitcher development at the Low-A level.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Watching him work, Mr. Lucas is clearly very passionate about his job and his ability to help these young men develop into the best that they can become. He is a terrific person who was happy to answer my questions, and those answers are below. As we were talking off of the recorder, the name of JO Berrios came up. He was quite excited when talking about his talent and his potential, but he made a great comment that speaks to what we must remember about all of these kids. “Sometime Berrios looks like he can be a future ace in the big leagues. Sometimes he looks like a 19-year-old kid with a lot to learn.” Such is the job of a pitching coach at this level. Gary Lucas was the first round pick of the Cincinnati Reds twice in 1973, first in the June Draft and later in the Secondary Phase of the draft. He decided that college was the right direction for him at that time. In 1976, he was drafted in the 19th round by the San Diego Padres and decided to sign. He moved up the system and debuted with the Padres in April of 1980. He made 18 starts that season, but quickly was moved to the bullpen where he had a very solid, eight-year big league career. He spent four years with San Diego, followed by two years with the Expos and two seasons with the Angels. So, what was the transition for him from player to coach? Was it a difficult decision for him? According to Lucas, “I wouldn’t say it was a difficult decision. It was a process to get to that point to make a decision. I think when I left the game, I wanted to be full-time dad and husband and just kind of take a step away. There was some interest from some people and I had some interest in coaching, but I did it at the junior college level near home in San Diego at the time just to, kind of, as I remember, see if I liked it and stay involved. I wasn’t really ready to just wash my hands of baseball, but I kind of wanted to do it on my terms.” Photo by The Gazette He began his coaching in the professional ranks soon after, but he acknowledges that he probably wasn’t ready, “I was home for awhile and then there were a couple of offers that came along. I took the Giants offer to see if I’d like it. I remember coaching back in the ‘90s. I think I was kind of doing it just to stay in the game, and to be in uniform and to hang out with the guys. It’s all the wrong reasons.” And then the Twins came calling and he has been the pitching coach for the Twins affiliate in the Midwest League since the year 2000. “When I came to the Twins, I had more focus in making the players better. It wasn’t about my career, and hanging on. It was about devoting my energies and focus to giving back to the game. And the Twins, thank God, gave me that opportunity. I think I’ve handled it the right way. I don’t think I handled it the right way in the early going. I wanted to get the players better, but I didn’t really know how to go about it the way you do with experience.” I had to ask Mr. Lucas if his current players know that he pitched in the big leagues and if they ask questions about that time. “They know it. Some of them are interested. It comes up from time to time. I think there’s a little bit of credibility there. I try to buffer that with (the fact that) I’m a resource for them. I’ve certainly been at every level they want to be at. I had a good major league career, but it all came with hard work. I was not the most talented guy in the world. If they want to tap into that work ethic and drive and desire and determination, and all that, when I didn’t have many tools, I mean, so be it. I was kind of a mental part of the game pitcher and that’s how I got there and stayed there.” The conversation then turned to his role as the team’s pitching coach and how he is able to work with the pitchers and some of his philosophies. “I think the main thing that I try to give them is everything they would want out of a coach. I mean, everything, and more, so that if they were coaching me, they could equal that. They would want to have that same thing if they were coaching me. I try to set an example of work ethic, focus, drive, determination in getting them better. If I’m working with Tim Atherton or Mason Melotakis, I need to remember that Tyler Jones and Kaleb Merck, they need my attention to. I need to let them know that I care, and if the major league thing plays into it, so be it.” How hard is it to work with all of the different individuals, experiences, talents, personalities of a team? “You have to understand each one of them, and each one of them is different. For instance, Hudson Boyd is 20, and then you have some veteran guys who are really ready to take off and you can see they belong and they’re confident. Tyler Jones, Steve Gruver. Guys that are repeating in this league are handling the transition from starters last year in Beloit to relievers here. Hudson’s just trying to figure out how he dominated everybody in high school and he can’t do it here. So there’s a different scenario for each guy and I have to handle each one of them differently along with the parameters that the Twins have set up for me for their development.” What is he looking for mechanically from pitchers, knowing that the Twins have put more of an emphasis on medical concerns? “The medical is big. We want to keep them healthy. The mechanics are certainly part of this. We have a peak performance focus that Bill Springman, our hitting coordinator, puts out for both hitters and pitchers, and that’s part of the mental game. I think there’s a little bit of balance to all of this without throwing so much at them that it overwhelms them. They’re all pretty good, but I think you have to balance what you’re giving. I mean, if you’re not careful, you’re giving Hudson (Boyd) so much mechanical stuff that you forget that he needs to know about the mental part of the game too. Vice versa, you might think that a Tyler Jones and Steve Gruver are pretty polished in all areas, and yet, they’re only in Low-A ball. So, there’s a balance with everything, the teaching and development requires that you try to balance out.” I have had the opportunity to watch Lucas work with his pitchers. On one day, about five hours before game time, Lucas was on the field with a half-dozen of his pitchers doing PFP (Pitcher’s Fielding Practice) and working on pickoff moves. The pitchers all went to the warning track. They would jog to centerfielder where they flipped the ball to Lucas who essentially became the Quarterback. The pitcher would keep running, look he was running a post pattern, and Lucas would try to hit him with a perfect pass. The pitchers appeared to be having a great time while still getting their pregame work in. However, watching Lucas work with a pitcher in the bullpen was intense. Instead of just stepping onto the bullpen mound and throwing some pitches, Lucas encourages his pitchers with situations, and staying at the knees, and burying a slider, and dropping a curveball just over the plate. “What I’m trying to get out of them (in the bullpen), I’m a big feel guy, I’m trying to get them to feel their delivery, feel their release point, feel their ability to throw strikes down in the zone. It differs a little bit, as far as the work in between relief outings and starts. We have a six man rotation this year, which is new to them this year so the starters have to throw twice in between starts. We do different things on different days. One day it might be a lot of situational pitching. The other days, it might be mechanics. It just differs from each guys certain times of the years. As we get polished up and get ready for a championship run hopefully at the end of the season and a playoff situation, we try to fine tune some things. It’s going to be more of what they’re doing right rather than what they’re doing wrong. So there’s different parts of the season. Different parts to each guy. And you try to keep it fresh.” The six-man rotation was certainly a big topic early in the season as it was not something the organization had done in the past. So, how is that working for Lucas and his pitching staff? “I think it’s played out. I think the positive outweighs the negatives. As the season unfolds at the end, you’re going to see guys not having to come out of the rotation due to innings. That’s what it’s designed to do. Where in the past, we’ve had to rest guys in the middle of the year to rest their arms, then take them out and bring in new guys. We’ve got a chance to keep this rotation intact for the most part.” It has certainly not been easy through the first three months of the season for Lucas and his pitching staff. There have been plenty of challenges. “When you have some of the things we’ve gone through on top of the six man rotation, I think it’s a credit to how these guys have handled it. I’m talking about Tyler Grimes having to learn the catching position after playing shortstop last year. Right out of the gate, he was asked to catch three or four games a week. We had to overcome three relievers that were relievers in college or relievers before with us. (Brett) Lee, (Mason) Melotakis and (Tyler) Duffey having to be starters. We had a 19 year old that just turned 19 in Berrios in May, so he was 18 to start the season (and played in the WBC). So, we had to overcome some hurdles.” But as the old commercial says, “But wait! There’s more!” “In addition, we had (David) Hurlbut, (Steven) Gruver, (Tyler) Jones, (Matt) Tomshaw, who had all been starters last year in Beloit that were asked to be relievers here. So we were in transition as well as having a six-man rotation. So, it was my job to keep them calmed down and not get too distracted by all the drama and so forth. And I think now we’re seeing some of the fruits of that. Some of these guys are starting to pitch pretty good.” Lucas understands the process that the minor league progress: “When they leave Elizabethton, from what I've heard and what they talk about both from coaches and players that have been there, is that hitters swing at a lot of our pitcher's stuff out of the zone. So, I think there can be a false sense of security as far as how we get guys out. Now you this to this level, which I think is pretty fair, pretty equal, as far as the ballparks, the travel. Pitching and hitting seems to be pretty equal. Overall, it's a good test for our guys, as far as command, control and where their confidence level comes from.” Lucas continued, “When you get to the Florida State League, it's pretty traditionally a pitchers' league. Big parks. Ball doesn't go very far. I think if you can pitch here (MWL), you can pitch at AA. And, I mean pitch here. Really, really get a lot of people out. So, this is where you've really to to be good and to polish it up at Ft. Myers and then I think you can really take off potentially. That AA is really a separator league, but this is a big test here, as far as actually being able to deal with what pitching is about rather than getting away with things in the rookie leagues.” I asked Lucas how much statistical analysis he uses with the pitchers at the Low-A level. He said that he uses it as needed, but certainly does not dwell on it. “I don’t do it at this level as much as some of the coaches at the higher levels. I‘m more in tune with staying within the Twins program that they’ve set out for us. It’s mostly to work on the balance I talked about, their deliveries – getting them under control – and where they’re looking to throw their pitches. Making sure that those things are solid and a foundation. Now, I might sit a guy down from time to time and say, you know where you’re at with too many walks verses innings pitched. Or, your WHIP is really high, so let’s look at our walks and let’s look at our hits per inning pitched. Or, let’s look at first pitch strikes. Or, let’s look at base on balls that end up scoring. I might sit them down collectively or individually about a few of those things. By and large, it’s a situation where at this level, I don’t want to overwhelm them with numbers and then they become very distracted by something they don’t have any control over. They have control over some of the other things and that’s what they need to move further is have their delivery under control and able to throw more strikes.” Gary Lucas enjoys his job and his passion for it is very clear by watching him and then by talking to him. So, what is the best part about his job? Lucas said, “Well, the Twins have given me some parameters to work within, but they’ve also have given me the freedom to get to know these guys, develop relationships with the players. They don’t put any restrictions on that. And, I think in the long run, I’ve found out that gets the most out of the player and the player-coach relationship takes off. Then if they’re in a rut, you’ve got them in the palm of your hand because you know then as an individual. So, the Twins have allowed me the opportunity to coach within the realm of their structure, and kind of be personable too.” Gary Lucas experienced the ultimate as a baseball player, and that is to play in the big leagues for eight years. He got there through hard work and a passion for the game. He now shares that passion with the 18 to 23 year old pitchers that work with him in the Midwest League. Rest assured, guided by Manager Jake Mauer, Hitting Coach Tommy Watkins and Pitching Coach Gary Lucas they are in good hands. 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~ Sponsored by Switch My Trip ~ Ron Gardenhire and Jason Kubel were insistent throughout spring training. Is it possible that they knew what they were talking about when they kept saying the veteran would be just fine when the regular season began? Fans and many writers wondered aloud which Jason Kubel we might see in 2014. Kubel hit just .196/.288/.283 (.571) in spring training, and that’s only because he ended the spring schedule on a good note. Fortunately, he has been able to flip a switch with the regular season and has been one of the Twins’ top offensive performers in the early weeks. ~ The Twins are looking to switch things around this year. Every week, Metro Transit recognizes a Twins player who successfully switched the outcome of a game for the better. ~ Kubel was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2000 draft. He stayed in the organization through the 2011 season. He was a solid performer, providing power in the middle of the lineup after his return from major knee surgery following the 2004 season. In 2012, he switched leagues, signing a two-year pact with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first year with the Snakes, he hit .253/.327/.506 (.833) with 30 doubles and 30 home runs. However, 2013 was a year full of injury and struggle. He played in just 97 games and hit .216/.293/.317 (.610). In August, he was traded back to the AL Central and hit .167 for Cleveland in their playoff push. Download attachment: Jason Kubel trot.jpg This past offseason, Kubel signed a minor league contract with the Twins despite reports that he had been offered a guaranteed, major league deal elsewhere. After that slow start in spring training, Jason Kubel has done a nice job of switching the opinions of many fans in Twins territory with his fast start. He is hitting .328/.418/.483 (.901) with six extra base hits. He has regained his form offensively. At the same time, his role with the Twins so far this season has switched from initial plan. He came in to be the team’s primary designated hitter who might occasionally get some time in the outfield. With injuries to Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham, he has become the Twins starting left fielder, playing every day. He has actually represented himself well with the glove to this point in the season. There is a lot of season to go. We are not even to May on the schedule yet. However, to this point, Jason Kubel has done a terrific job. He has been able to switch the opinions of many Twins fans who felt that he was on the wrong side of 30 and in decline. He will turn 32 years old at the end of May, but to this point of the young season, he is healthy and appears to be more like the 2012 version of Jason Kubel that we all hope to see. ~~~ Why fight traffic and parking? Say ‘Switch My Trip’ for the next Twins game. Metro Transit can provide you and your whole family a train ride to the game. Planning your trip is as easy as clicking on this link. Click here to view the article

The Twins and White Sox are playing the lone game in the big leagues on Labor Day evening. The Twins minor league affiliates that played on Monday all had afternoon games, with one exception. The Elizabethton Twins are playing tonight for the Appalachian League championship. The results of that game will be available here at Twins Daily upon its completion. The Rock Cats had a small chance of making the playoffs. Miguel Sano hit a very nice milestone. The Red Wings were able to meet an impressive win total as well. There was plenty to play for in the final day of the season. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Monday: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 6, SYRACUSE 4 The Red Wings ended their season with a win which gives them a record of 72-72. Following the last two seasons, a .500 record is quite something! Shairon Martis started and worked the first three innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five. Luis Perdomo gave up one run on one hit in 1.1 innings. Anthony Slama got the final out for his 14th save of the season and the 100th save of his minor league career. Tsuyoshi Nishioka went 2-4 with his 18th double. Brian Dozier was 2-4 with his second home run. Wilkin Ramirez was 2-4 with his 18th double. Clete Thomas was 2-4 with his 22nd double. NEW BRITAIN 8, NEW HAMPSHIRE 5 The Rock Cats came into this game knowing that no matter what they did, if Reading won, they would be out of the playoffs. Their hope was that they would win and Reading would lose to Portland. That would have meant a one-game playoff between the two teams for the final spot in the Eastern League playoffs. Unfortunately, late in the game, Reading completed a 7-3 win over Portland pushing the Rock Cats out of the playoffs. The Rock Cats certainly came to play on this day. James Beresford went 4-5. Oswaldo Arcia went 2-5 with his 10th home run. Aaron Hicks was 1-3 with two walks. Shawn Roof went 2-3 with his third double. Josmil Pinto was 1-3 with a walk and his fourth double. Chris Herrmann hit his 25th double. Logan Darnell made the start. The left won for the 11th time this season. He gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out one. Dakota Watts threw two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struckout one. Jose Gonzalez pitched a scoreless inning. Edgar Ibarra gave up one run on one hit in his inning. BELOIT 6, QUAD CITIES 1 David Hurlbut evened his record at 6-6 with the win. He worked the first five innings and gave up one run on four hits. He didn’t allow a walk and struckout three. Cole Johnson gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. Taylor Rogers then threw two shutout frames. Zach Jones gave up a hit, but he struck out three in his scoreless inning. Matt Koch led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 23rd double. Drew Leachman went 2-4. Wang-Wei Lin went 2-4 with a three-run, inside-the-park home run. It was his fourth homer of the year. Finally, Miguel Sano was 1-3. He knocked his 28th home run, a solo homer that gave up 100 RBI on the season. --- Players of the Day for Monday, September 3, 2012 Hitter of the Day – James Beresford Download attachment: James Beresford.jpg Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut Download attachment: David Hurlbut.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Schedule Rochester – Season Over New Britain – Season Over Ft. Myers – Season Over Beloit Snappers – Day Off, playoffs start on Wednesday in Clinton Elizabethton Twins – Season Over GCL Twins – Season Over --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

Welcome to another season of Minnesota Twins Minor League game reports. Can you believe that on the first night, we already had a walk-off home run?! In this series, you will find are the scores and highlights of each Twins minor league game throughout the season. We will write about who pitched for the Twins affiliate and how well they did. We’ll mention home runs and multi-hit games by hitters. As the season goes along, we’ll keep you updated on where the team stands in their divisions.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] We will also be around the take any questions you may have about the teams and players so be sure to review this report each and every day from now until Labor Day (and hopefully beyond that as it would mean a team made the playoffs). Let's get to the Opening Night action... The minor league schedule was full and all four teams were able to play their games despite chilly temperatures throughout the north. There was even a walk-off win for one of the affiliates. However, before we get started with the report, the Minnesota Twins recorded their first win of the 2014 season with a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox. It was an ugly win, but I think the Twins and their fans would be really happy with any and all ugly wins that the team is able to record. The win was the 999th of manager Ron Gardenhire’s managerial career with the Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo Bison 6 Box Score The Red Wings played the first game of the 2014 minor league season. It began when Blue Jays top pitching prospect Marcus Stroman threw his first pitch to Darin Mastroianni. Scott Diamond got the start for the Red Wings, and it’s fair to say he didn’t get the results he likely wanted. The southpaw gave up four first innings runs and then another in the second before his day was complete. He gave up five runs (4 earned) on six hits and an uncharacteristic four walks. He struck out just one batter. Diamond continues a run that no Red Wings starting pitcher has completed five innings on Opening Day since Boof Bonser in 2006. He was replaced by veteran Yohan Pino who struck out one in two perfect innings. Brooks Raley came in for the fifth inning. He went 1.2 innings and gave up only an unearned run despite yielding three hits and walking two. Deolis Guerra got the final out of the sixth inning and pitched a 1, 2, 3 seventh frame. Matt Hoffman pitched a quiet eighth inning. Mastroianni led the offense. He went 2-5 with two RBI. James Beresford was 2-4 with an RBI. Deibinson Romero went 1-3 with a walk. The winning pitcher for the Bison was former Red Wings and Twins starter Liam Hendriks who pitched the fifth and sixth innings without allowing a base runner. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 10, Richmond 2 Box Score The Rock Cats scored ten runs, but it was the pitching that kept them in the game early. Pat Dean made the Opening Day start and went the first 5.1 innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out seven. He was replaced by AJ Achter who struck out five (and walked one) in 2.2 hitless innings. Cole Johnson got through his first appearance of 2014. He gave up two hits, but no runs to end the game. Download attachment: Pat Dean.jpg The offense started quickly. Corey Wimberly led off the first inning with a double which was followed by a Danny Ortiz single. Nate Hanson came up and drilled a two-run double. The Rock Cats scored single runs in the second and fourth inning. In the sixth inning Kennys Vargas singled. He went to third on a Reynaldo Rodriguez single. Rodriguez advanced to second on the throw to third. That allowed both runs to score on a Tony Thomas single. Matt Koch followed with a double to score Thomas and extend the lead to 7-2. They added another three runs in the 8th inning. Tony Thomas led the way. He went 3-4 with a double and two RBI. Danny Ortiz went 3-4 with a walk. Reynaldo Rodriguez, playing left field, scored four runs in the game. He was 2-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Jupiter 1 Box Score Jason Wheeler provided an early-season quality start and Max Kepler provided the offense. Wheeler, who went 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA for the Miracle last year, got the nod to start the opener. The lanky lefty went the first 5.2 innings and gave up just one run on five hits and two walks. He struck out four. Lefty Steven Gruver got the final out of the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless seventh as well. Tim Shibuya was perfect over the final two innings, including two strikeouts. What should be a potent Miracle offense got off to a quick start on Opening Night in Jupiter. Leadoff man Levi Michael led off with a double. It was followed by a single by Jorge Polanco. Dalton Hicks singled off the pitcher which scored Michael from third. Polanco advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Max Kepler. However, the Miracle bats were quiet until the 8th inning when Jorge Polanco and Adam Walker singled. They both scored on a triple down the right field line by Max Kepler. Kepler scored later on an infield single by Michael Gonzales. Eight of the nine Miracle hitters had at least one hit. Jorge Polanco, 2-5, was the only player with more than one hit. We certainly won’t discuss the lineup or the defensive alignment, but the Opening Night alignment was interesting, especially in the infield. Levi Michael started at second base. Jorge Polanco was at shortstop. Niko Goodrum played at third base. Goodrum made some nice plays at the hot corner. Polanco made one diving play, but he also committed two errors in the game. Travis Harrison started in left field with Max Kepler in center and Adam Walker in right. I’m certain many of these players will be gaining some versatility by playing several positions throughout the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 3 (10 innings) Box Score With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Bryan Haar stepped to the plate with no one on base. Last year, he led the Appalachian League in extra base hits. He came up with a timely one on this night. Haar hit a long home run to deep left field to give the Kernels a walk-off win on Opening Night. Aaron Slegers made the Opening Night start for the Kernels. The 6-10 righty gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out five. He also hit two batters. Christian Powell came on and threw two scoreless innings. Miguel Sulbaran, who will be starting at the back end of the rotation, got an inning and was charged with an unearned run. Hudson Boyd came in for the ninth inning and worked two scoreless innings to get the win. Haar’s home run was his first hit of the season. He had earlier walked and driven in a run. Zach Larson went 2-4 with a pair of doubles. Joel Licon went 2-3 with two walks in the game. If you feel the need to post one negative thing in this game, how about the defense on the left side of the infield. Engelb Vielma had two errors at shortstop. Logan Wade, playing third base, had three errors. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Bryan Haar, Cedar Rapids Kernels FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (1:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (vs Ricky Romero) Richmond @ New Britain (10:30 a.m. CST) – DJ Baxendale Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:35 CST) – Tyler Duffey Clinton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – Randy Rosario Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games of Friday night. ~~~ Thanks to the Twins come back win over the White Sox on Thursday, you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza on Friday when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

This morning at 9:00 a.m. the annual Rule 5 draft will begin. First will be the Major League portion. It will be followed by the minor league portion. The Twins have had some successes in each. The nabbed 3B Brian Buscher from the Giants in the minor league portion. In the major league portion, they have added names like Gary Wayne, who was a solid lefty reliever for the Minnesota Twins for a few seasons, including 1991. The most recent success was Scott Diamond. Today, I want to write about one of the most underrated players in Minnesota Twins history. In my opinion, this player is the best player that the Twins have selected in the Rule 5 draft.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: MackPuck.jpg The initial assumption many will make is that I am referring to Johan Santana. However, I don’t believe that he is at all underrated in Twins history. He also was not a player that the Twins selected in the Rule 5 draft. Admittedly, it may be semantics, but in that 1999 Rule 5 draft, the Marlins took Santana. The Twins used the 2nd pick to select RHP Jared Camp. The teams had previously agreed to a deal in which they would make those picks and then swap them, with money being exchanged as well. In my opinion, the best player that the Twins have drafted themselves in the Rule 5 draft came to the organization on December 4, 1989. Shane Mack was the first round pick of the San Diego Padres in 1984 after a great career at UCLA. His pro career began in the 1985 season because he played for Team USA in the 1984 Olympics. He debuted with the Padres in May of 1987 and hit .239/.299/.361 (.660) in 105 games (267 plate appearances). In 1988, he played in just 56 games for the Padres and hit .244/.336/.269 (.605) with three doubles. 1989, he played in just 24 games for the Padres AAA team, and hit just .225/.344/.325 (.669) in that time. Although he had that first round pedigree, and the major college background, Mack was a bust to that point in his career. The Padres exposed him to the Rule 5 draft. The Twins scouting personnel saw something in Mack that told them that he still had a chance to be a solid big league player. Maybe it was that they just saw a great athlete who needed a change of scenery. Whatever the reason, they selected him in that 1989 Rule 5 draft, and he came to big league camp in 1990. There is little risk in making a Rule 5 selection. It’s just $50,000 to make a pick, and if the player is returned, it is for $25,000. Or, in the case of Diamond, a trade can be worked out. According to Twins Trivia, the Twins have made 17 selections since 1986, and only two of those players remained on the Twins roster the entire season after being taken (Mack in 1989 and Wayne in 1988). The Twins were a last place team in 1990, so the 26-year-old Mack got plenty of opportunity. In fact, he played in 125 games. He earned the playing time. He hit .326/.392/.460 (.852) with 10 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 44 RBI. He also stole 13 bases. In 143 games in 1991, Mack hit .310/.363/.529 (.893) with 27 doubles, eight triples, 18 homers and 74 RBI. He added 13 more stolen bases and helped the Twins to their 1991 World Series championship. He played in 156 games in 1992. He hit .315/.394/.467 (.860) with 31 doubles, six triples, 16 homers and 75 RBI. He stole 26 bases that season. He had a down season in 1993. In 128 games, he hit .276/.335/.412 (.746) with 30 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 61 RBI. He stole 15 bases. His final season with the Twins came in 1995. He played in just 81 games, but he hit .333/.402/.564 (.966) with 21 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 61 RBI. In those five seasons with the Twins, Mack’s OPS+ numbers were 133, 140, 139, 100, and 147. In 633 games, he hit .309/.375/.479 (.854). He hit 119 doubles, 24 triples, 67 home runs, and 315 RBI. He also stole 71 bases. His OPS+ was 130. He became a free agent following the 1994 season. He spent the 1995 and 1996 seasons in Japan, playing for the Yomiuri Giants. He came back to the States and in 1997 and 1998, he played a total of 129 games for the Red Sox, A’s, and Royals. When the Twins Hall of Fame ballot came out last month, Mack’s name was on it for the first time. It is inexplicable why a player who did that well for the Twins for a five-year stretch was only put on the ballot this year. Looking at the site results, based on number of tweets, we see Dan Gladden with 47 tweets while Shane Mack has just four tweets. Remember Mack’s 130 OPS+ in his five seasons with the Twins? Gladden’s OPS+ in his first season with the Twins was 90. Other front-runners include Corey Koskie, who deserves it at some point, but he has a 116 OPS+ in seven seasons. Chuck Knoblauch, who absolutely should be in the Twins Hall of Fame, had a 114 OPS+ in his seven seasons with the Twins. Of course, we shouldn’t make much of anything that’s voted by fans. Other deserving Twins Hall of Fame candidates, Dave Goltz (0) and Brian Harper (4) are not racking up twitter mentions either. That it took so long for Mack to even be recognized on that ballot is one indication of just how underrated Shane Mack is in Twins history. During those five years, he was one of the top five outfielders in all of baseball. Did we appreciate at the time that the Twins had both Mack and Kirby Puckett roaming the outfield? Shane Mack and Johan Santana are a couple of cases of the best case scenario of what can happen for a team using a Rule 5 draft pick. Scott Diamond’s 2012 season is certainly encouraging. If a team can find a player who performs to the level that LHP Gary Wayne did for the Twins for four seasons, that is a major success. At Twins Daily today, we will be sure to highlight who the Twins select in the Rule 5 drafts, Major League and Minor League portions. We’ll also look back at any players that the Twins should happen to lose. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Kyle Gibson RW600.JPG Today marks the Opening Day of the 2012 Arizona Fall League. As you know, the Twins sent seven players to play for the Peoria Javelinas. The hitters are catcher Chris Herrmann and outfielders Evan Bigley and Nate Roberts. The pitchers are lefties Logan Darnell and Caleb Thielbar and right-handers Michael Tonkin and Kyle Gibson. Be sure to keep up with the Twins in the AFL right here at Twins Daily. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Today also marks the beginning of a series at Twins Daily that we’ll be calling Ten Questions With… It’s pretty self-explanatory. I’ll ask ten questions to someone related to the Minnesota Twins. Our first guest to answer ten questions is Kyle Gibson. We appreciate his willingness to take some time to answer questions as he’s been very busy since the regular season ended. However, he was gracious enough to do a terrific job responding on a variety of questions. So here we go… here are… TEN QUESTIONS WITH… Kyle Gibson 1.) Just over one year ago, you had successful Tommy John surgery. What was the most difficult part of those first few months of rehab? Kyle Gibson (KG): Most difficult part of the first few months was probably being careful that I not use my arm too much. I am such an active person/busy person physically, that I had to be careful that I didn't try and lift too much, or move it past the range of motion allowed. Once I was able to use my arm fully, life was much easier!!! haha 2.) How difficult was it to stay patient with the rehab once you were able to pick up a baseball? Were you tempted to make more throws or throw from a longer distance? KG: It was hard to stay patient with rehab mainly because I felt very good for almost all of the throwing process. I think had I felt more soreness, then I would have been easily patient with the process, but I guess it is a blessing that I felt so good! I wasn't really tempted too much to make more throws or at longer distances because I knew it was important to make sure I follow the protocol, and since I was in Ft Myers working directly with Lanning Tucker, the rehab coordinator, I didn't have much of a choice when it came to throwing extra!!! 3.) I know you are a person of strong faith, family and values. How did those things help you through the rough days? KG: All three of those things helped through each and every day, no doubt. When it comes to my faith, it helped me have confidence that God put me in that position for a reason and the adversity that I was facing is going to make me a stronger person down the road. I just had to fully trust that His plan is the best plan for me, and when I do that, it’s easy for me to accept what is happening, good or bad, in my life. My family was a big help, especially my wife because she was there every day in Ft Myers. It was a big help to be able to come home and do other things other than think about baseball. I love baseball, no doubt, but if I only had baseball to think about then I would have drove myself crazy thinking about how I could rehab better/more. 4.) You set a timeline, and you were able to stay on it. The first bullpen session was in early June, and you were pitching for the GCL Twins in rehab games in July. What was it like to get back on the mound in a game again? KG: Getting back on the mound was an unbelievable feeling. I cannot even express the feeling in words because it was a culmination of hard work that had been 10 months in the making! I am just happy and blessed to have had no setbacks to this point. 5.) Was it important for you to get back up to AAA Rochester in 2012? How did you feel about your performance there, and in general, how was your arm feeling at that point? KG: I think getting back to Rochester, in the grand scheme of things, really wasn’t as important as I was making it to myself. I wanted to get back there, prove I was healthy, and have success against good competition, to at least prove to myself that I was ready for it. I felt good about how I did there. I did give up runs each time out, but I feel that I have fixed a few things since then. I really had a problem out of the stretch position, and as a result I was leaving the ball up and not making quality pitches. Since then I feel like I have watched enough video to work out those problems, and I am looking forward to getting to test them here in the fall league. My arm has felt great through the whole process. Even then, I had some minor soreness here and there, but all normal for my situation. 6.) What have you been up to since the end of the season and specifically leading up to the Arizona Fall League? KG: After the season I went down to Ft. Myers to keep my arm in shape and get ready for the fall league. I spent a few weeks in instructional league pitching some innings and working on a few things. 7.) What are you looking forward to in the Arizona Fall League? Is it more about getting innings and gaining arm strength, or is it working on pitches, control and confidence? KG: What I am most looking forward to is getting more comfortable on the mound and making quality pitches against quality hitters. It is about gaining arm strength, more innings, working on pitches, and control as well, without a doubt. 8.) Have you allowed yourself to start thinking about being added to the 40 man roster, going to spring training and, after all you've been through and all the hard work, what it will mean to get that call, to the big leagues? KG: I have tried to think mostly about the present work I am doing. It is always hard not to think about what it will be like to be called up to the big leagues, if I get that chance, but the most I think about that, the less I am focused on staying healthy and getting better so that if I do get that chance, I am ready! I am very much looking forward to spring training, without a doubt. I want to go into it and show that I am healthy and ready to pitch wherever the Twins want to send me. 9.) Tell us a little about Mission of Mercy, a mission project in the Dominican Republic that you and your wife are very active with. KG: Mission of Mercy is an organization that is involved in many different countries around the world with the Dominican Republic being one of those. My agent was working with a player at the time who was looking to get involved with M of M, and in doing so, they donated a good sum of money to start another project in the D.R. My agent invited me to go for the ribbon cutting ceremony in 2009, and I have been hooked ever since! It’s a project with a school on site, as well as a baseball field, a basketball court with a volleyball net as well, and an outdoor pavilion for meeting purposes. There are about 200 kids that attend school at the project, and this last year, my wife and I decided to sponsor a little girl, and it was an amazing moment for us to meet her and her family last trip down there. If your readers want to make a contribution to the project or sponsor a child, they can find more information about what we are doing down there at https://www.missiono...BaseballProject. 10.) Finally, you're putting together a charity auction of some of your game-used items on ebay. What are you selling and where can our readers find more information? How can TwinsDaily.com readers and fans contribute? KG: I have decided to sell some game used items on EBay to raise some funds for this project in the D.R., and it has been a lot of fun. They will be going on for the next couple weeks, and left to be sold are a few more pairs of cleats, a glove, and maybe another hat or two. I am also going to be selling some pictures of me at the Futures Game that were taken by my dad, and maybe some autographed baseballs. All the gear will be signed and will have a Bible verse on it that has not been put on any other item I have ever signed. I want each of these items to be special and one of a kind. Anyone can bid on the items on eBay and my seller ID is Kgibby44. I will be keeping everyone updated through twitter and facebook as to what items are being auctioned off. Your readers can follow me on twitter if they like at @Kgib44 if they like! Thanks Seth! Thank you Kyle!! Reports indicate that to this point Gibson is throwing harder than he threw before his Tommy John surgery. That is certainly encouraging but we all have to remind ourselves that this is a process. The process is taking him to the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League where he can hopefully throw another 25-30 innings in preparation for spring training next season. As good of a pitcher as Gibson has the potential to be, he is an even better person with a strong faith and family and proper perspective. We certainly wish him the best! Download attachment: Kyle Gibson sign400.JPG Click here to view the article

One of the greatest terms among baseball fans is “Pitchers and Catchers Report.” On Sunday, the Twins' pitchers and catchers (on the 40 man roster, or those who received a spring training invitation) officially reported to Hammond Stadium, and on Monday they will practice together for the first time. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] In January, we reviewed the catchers, the first basemen, third basemen, middle infielders and outfielders in the Minnesota Twins organization. In this article, I’ll quickly mention the starting pitchers through the Twins' system. Starting pitching has been the Twins biggest issue in recent years. The Twins were aggressive this offseason in the free agent market. Last offseason, they actively pursued a couple of big arms via the trade market. And in last year’s draft they targeted another big arm. The Big Leaguers Download attachment: Kevin Correia 2.jpg The Twins were very aggressive in the free agent market this offseason. Before the end of Thanksgiving weekend, they had agreed to terms with free agents Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes. Before Christmas, they re-signed Mike Pelfrey. Last year’s other free agent acquisition, Kevin Correia, returns in 2014 after a solid 2013. Those four will, assuming health, make up 80-percent of the opening day starting pitching staff. So, who will be the fifth starter? That’s one of the biggest questions as spring training begins. There are three possibilities who are out of options. They are Scott Diamond, Vance Worley and Samuel Deduno. All three have shown a measure of success in their careers. Also in the fifth starter mix will be righty Kyle Gibson who debuted halfway through the 2013 season. Though he struggled, he is potentially still a #2/3 starter. Finally, let’s not forget that Alex Meyer and Trevor May will certainly get long looks during spring training. There are others, new to the organization, who will also likely receive long looks. Lefties Kris Johnson and recently-claimed Brooks Raley pitched in the big leagues in 2014. Lefty Sean Gilmartin came to the Twins in exchange for Ryan Doumit. Another lefty, Logan Darnell, was added to the 40 man roster last fall, which may mean his time in big league camp will be limited. However, he is certainly one to watch at Rochester in 2014. 2013 Draft Picks As they did in 2012, the Minnesota Twins prioritized pitching in the 2013 draft. With the fourth overall pick, the Twins were thrilled to select Texas prep Kohl Stewart. They were then able to give him about four million reasons to forgo a football scholarship at Texas A&M. Another highly-regarded high school pitcher the Twins drafted was Stephen Gonsalves. The Twins got him in the fourth round. The two dominated in the GCL and also pitched well in short stints in Elizabethton. In the 2nd round, the Twins selected a college arm, Ryan Eades, from Louisiana State University. The Boras client didn’t pitch well out of the Elizabethton bullpen last year, after a long college season, but he could move very quickly in 2014. 6-10 righty Aaron Slegers helped lead the Indiana Hoosiers to the College World Series during which the Twins took him in the 5th round. As they did in 2012, the Twins drafted some pitchers with strong arms who had pitched out of the bullpen. Some of them will be given an opportunity to start in 2014. Brian Gilbert and Ethan Mildren are two to watch. Prospect Rankings Times have certainly changed from five years ago when the Twins had few highly-regarded prospects, and most of those were hitters. In my Top 10 Twins prospect lists, I have four pitching prospects who have a ceiling of “upper-half of the rotation starter.” In the recently-completed Twins Daily Top Ten Twins' Prospect List, there are five starting pitchers. Alex Meyer (3) and Kohl Stewart (4) are the two Twins" pitching prospects for whom the descriptor “Ace” is a legitimate possibility based on their current projections. As we know, Meyer has consistently pitched between 95 and 98 and has touched 99 and even 100 on several occasions. Stewart has only been a part-time pitcher because of his football background in Texas, and he has already been clocked as high as 97. Both have big-league secondary pitches to go with their heat. JO Berrios was ranked #6 on Twins Daily’s list and #7 on my list. He’s got better than average control and throws hard with good secondary pitches. He had his ups and downs in 2013 with Cedar Rapids, but he was one of the youngest pitchers in the league. (Berrios did a Q&A for Twins Daily – English version, Spanish version). Speaking of young, Lewis Thorpe burst on the scene in 2014. The 17 year old gained size and velocity and got on everyone’s radar when he started getting clocked at 95. He also shows impeccable control and has more room to grow. Trevor May came in at #10 in the Twins Daily prospect rankings (I ranked him #12). He (along with Meyer and Tim Atherton) were the three Twins minor league starters who struck out more than a batter per inning. I had Steven Gonsalves at #13. Ryan Eades ranked #18 for me, with Jorge Felix following at #19. Taylor Rogers was my choice for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year after a tremendous season at Ft. Myers. He is also ranked as my #21 prospect. Luke Bard, despite missing most of the season, was my #23 choice. Miguel Sulbaran, who came to the Twins from the Dodgers in the Drew Butera trade, is my choice for #24. DJ Baxendale, who dominated in Ft. Myers the first two months of the season before struggling more in New Britain, was the Twins 10th round pick in 2012 out of Arkansas and my choice for #25 prospect. Lefty Brett Lee had a solid season in Cedar Rapids and ranks #27. Hard-throwing youngster Fernando Romero comes in at #28. Finally, another hard-thrower from the rookie leagues, Yorman Landa, ranks 30th. So, in all, 15 of my Top 30 are currently starting pitchers. Romero and Landa both have high potentials, pointing to how solid the Twins pitching depth is. Roster Projections In each installment, I have been making my roster projections. There could still be additional signings, and injuries will affect all this. That’s why it is important to have more than just five starters at each level. There are also always players put on the disabled list. This just gives an idea of who could be at each affiliate at the start of the season. Minnesota: Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, Kevin Correia, Mike Pelfrey, Scott Diamond, Vance Worley, Sam Deduno,Rochester: Kyle Gibson, Trevor May, Kris Johnson, Brooks Raley, Logan Darnell, Pat DeanNew Britain: Sean Gilmartin, Alex Meyer, DJ Baxendale, Matt Summers, Taylor Rogers, Alex Wimmers, BJ Hermsen, Mark Hamburger (following suspension)Fort Myers: Jason Wheeler, Tyler Duffey, Tim Shibuya, Ryan Eades, Miguel Sulburan, Brett Lee, Mason Melotakis, JO BerriosCedar Rapids: Jorge Felix, Yorman Landa, Hudson Boyd, Aaron Slegers, Randy Rosario, Brian Gilbert, Ethan MildrenExtended Spring Training: Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves, Lewis Thorpe, Fernando Romero, Miguel GonzalezFeel free to discuss the players and the roster. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Chris Parmelee 3.jpg It’s August 28th, just a handful of days remaining until September 1st. At that time, Major League rosters can expand to 40. Of course, no team is going to have all 40 members of their 40 man roster on their big league roster. Generally speaking, the Twins say they want to bring up an infielder, an outfielder, maybe an extra catcher, and a couple of arms. Also, the minor league seasons finish on Labor Day, so most of the call-ups will not happen until after that date. Today, I’m going to take a look at 16 players that could be considered for a September call-up and try to handi-cap their likelihood of being called up.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There are various reasons for a player to be called up. When the big league team is in contention, it has more to do with a role, something they can add to the current roster. That could be a pinch runner, a pinch hitter, or just some extra arms to only pitch in blowouts. For a team like the Twins this year, they have a lot of players that they will want to see and evaluate over the final month. Some players may be out of options next spring. The Twins will need to add some players to the 40 man roster in November. Some may get added for September. Others may depend on how some fringe players perform in September. With that background, here are some of the players who could potentially be called up in September. I believe there are 16 names here, and most likely the Twins will call up between five and seven players. Here is my list and percentages. Feel free to discuss. --- CHRIS PARMELEE (100%) – I think it’s pretty safe to assume that Parmelee will be up with the Twins in September again. He has simply crushed International League pitching all year to the tune of a .344/.463/.661 (1.124) line, including 17 doubles, a triple, 17 homers and 48 RBI. He even had more walks than strikeouts. Many wanted him called up to play in the outfield for the past month, but if the Twins thought he could play in the outfield, he might have played some there in Rochester. He has not played a single inning in the outfield for the Red Wings. He may see some time out there with the Twins. 40 Man Roster – Yes. BRIAN DOZIER (95%) – He was sent down to Rochester for the final two weeks. He proceeded to have just three hits in his first 44 at bats with the Red Wings. He has played well the last two games, but the manager loves him and he will get some more time in September. Now, I also think that the Twins love the glove of Pedro Florimon at shortstop, so don’t be surprised to see Dozier spending some time at second base. Again, you would think they’d start doing that a little in Rochester first. 40 Man Roster – Yes. JEFF MANSHIP (85%) – He’s out of options next season, so I would think that the Twins would want to see more of him and determine whether to bring him to spring training in 2013. With the Red Wings this year, he is 6-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 20 games. 40 Man Roster – Yes. ESMERLING VASQUEZ (84%) – The hard-throwing right-hander has been terrific this season with the Red Wings, both out of the bullpen and over eight starts late in the season. Overall, he is 9-6 with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He has 98 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. 40 Man Roster – No. MATT CARSON (82%) – The outfielder put on a nice show of what he could be (at his best) in his week-long stint with the Twins on the west coast. Since the 32 year old was only “optioned” to Rochester, my assumption is that he will come back up in September (and then be DFAd after the season). 40 Man Roster – Yes. ANTHONY SLAMA (75%) – if he was anyone else putting up the numbers he is this year (not to mention over his entire minor league career, particularly the years in AAA), I would have this percentage at 100% However, this is the Twins and this is Anthony Slama, so who knows what the Twins will choose to do. If I was in charge, he would have been up a long time ago. 40 Man Roster – No. EDUARDO ESCOBAR (71%) – The utility infielder came to the Twins in the Francisco Liriano trade. He hasn’t hit much in his four weeks with the Red Wings, but he’s been good with the glove all around the infield. I’m not worried about his bat because he rotted on the White Sox bench all season, and it appears, based on his role in Rochester, that he will be the Twins next long-term utility player (which makes Alexi Casilla’s non-tendering case even stronger). 40 Man Roster – Yes. LUIS PERDOMO (68%) – It’s strange how much Perdomo struggled to throw strikes during his short stint with the Twins. In 28.1 innings with Rochester this year, he has just four walks to go with 24 strikeouts. His promotion would depend upon how many arms the Twins want to see in September. 40 Man Roster – Yes. OSWALDO ARCIA (50%) – This 21 year old can flat-out hit. He was the Appy League hitter of the year in 2010. He needed just one month in Beloit last year before moving up to Ft. Myers. He spent a couple of months with the Miracle this year, doubled in the Futures Game, and has crushed Eastern League (AA) pitching. Between the two teams, he is hitting .317/.388/.539 (.917) with 36 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs and 90 RBI. He will play in Venezuela in the winter. 40 Man Roster – Yes. CHRIS HERRMANN (40%) – I can see the Twins calling up the versatile Herrmann to play a role very similar to what Ryan Doumit is playing right now. Herrmann can catch and has improved greatly behind the plate. Since the Twins extended Doumit for the next two seasons, Herrmann has returned to playing a lot of left field, where he is known as a terrific outfielder. For the Rock Cats this year, he is hitting .268/.342/.385 (.727) with 23 doubles, ten homers and 55 RBI. He could take Drew Butera’s spot as one of three catchers, but he can provide more bat and even more bench versatility. 40 Man Roster – No (needs to be added). CHRIS COLABELLO (35%) – I think the fact that Matt Carson will likely be called up makes it more unlikely that Colabello is promoted. The lanky right-handed bat has been incredible this year in his first year in affiliated baseball. He was the 2011 Independent League Player of the Year and signed with the Twins before spring training this year. He has responded by hitting .291/.358/.494 (.852) with 37 doubles, 19 homers and 95 RBI so far. The 28 year old could be a decent right-handed bench bat option. 40 Man Roster – No. AARON HICKS (30%) – The 2008 first-round pick is finally putting together the stats that so many had hoped for, and so many fans had given up on him being able to produce. He finally has been able to turn all of his tools into skills. With New Britain, he is hitting .287/.385/.450 (.835) with 20 doubles, eight triples, 12 home runs, 56 RBI and 31 stolen bases. He is hitting lefties and righties well this year. He is showing that he can hit, hit for some power, run, play great defense and has a very strong arm. He also has the sixth tool, very good plate discipline. 40 Man Roster – No (But he needs to be added). DEOLIS GUERRA (25%) – This is Guerra’s final season of options. He started out great with New Britain, and when he moved up to Rochester, that success continued… for a while. Hitters started waiting for his changeup and pounding it. Then, he missed about a month with injury, and he has struggled. The Twins may want to bring him up in September and just see what he can do. Or, they could bring him to spring training next year and give him a job. This is one situation that will be interesting to watch this offseason. 40 Man Roster – Yes. WILKIN RAMIREZ (10%) – Signed as a minor league free agent before the season, Ramirez was once a big-time prospect of the Detroit Tigers. Still just 26 years old, Ramirez has some potential. He has shown it recently in Rochester. In his last 15 games with the Red Wings, he has hit .426 (23-54) with six doubles, seven homers and 17 RBI. A terrific athlete, he is another outfielder. 40 Man Roster – No. CALEB THIELBAR (6%) – It would sure be a nice story if Thielbar got a September cup of coffee with the Twins. The left-hander from Randolph, Minnesota, was signed at about this time one year ago from the St. Paul Saints. This year, he began with Ft. Myers, where he dominated. He moved up to New Britain, where he continued to be dominant. He advanced to AAA Rochester, and although he has not been dominant, he is left-handed, throws the ball well, and can miss a few bats. It may not happen this September, but he has put himself into the discussion. 40 Man Roster – No. KYLE GIBSON (1%) – The Twins and all around the Gibson situation continue to say that the Twins will NOT promoted Gibson when the rosters expand in September. Instead, he’ll finish out the season with the Red Wings, then go to instructional league and then pitch in the Arizona Fall League. If all goes well, he will go to spring training 2013 with an opportunity to make the big league roster. Of course, I want to leave my projection at 1% just because he’s worked hard to return from his September 6, 2012, Tommy John surgery. 40 Man Roster – No (but he needs to be added). 0% Chance – Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Nick Blackburn and Rene Tosoni – All three have been removed from the Twins 40 man roster within the past two weeks, and it is unlikely they would add any of them back for September (although, I guess, Blackburn is always an option). 0% Chance (due to injury) – Joe Benson’s had a rough year that likely just ended with a knee surgery. Sean Burroughs started the season with the Twins but was quickly DFAd and spent the year with the Red Wings. He hasn’t played in six weeks due to some lower back pain. Lester Oliveros had some elbow issues and was shut down. Pedro Hernandez suffered a lat injury and was shut down for the season. My Prediction for September Call-Ups – Parmelee, Dozier, Escobar, Carson, Arcia, Vasquez, Manship, Slama. (That’s eight promotions and 32 players on the roster, not counting PJ Walters who could return shortly as well. That likely means that at least one or two of my picks are not going to be promoted. So, with this information, who do you think will receive September call-ups for the Twins? Click here to view the article

This is the hardest time of the year to be a baseball fan. At least it is for me. I actually really enjoy the offseason. I love hearing rumors, and trying to think about what the Twins could do, and what they will do. Who will they sign? Will there be a trade? From the end of the World Series until about the middle of January, it is fun. Then there is the Twins Winter Caravan which is a great time, followed by the weekend of Twins Fest. In a little over a week, one of the great phrases will be uttered, "Pitchers and Catchers Report!" And, I'm of the belief that Opening Day should be a national holiday! And, then there is the 162 game season. Obviously it's much more fun when your team is winning, but that long journey from April to October is what it's all about. However, there are those pesky three weeks between Twins Fest and the beginning of spring training. Generally, there won't be any more transactions. The Super Bowl is done, and all we can do is wait. Once Spring Training starts, there will be plenty of storylines to follow! [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] So, on days like today, the best idea for a topic to discuss is: Predictions. Predictions are always fun. We can voice our opinions and even if they seem funny now, after the long season, it's possible to be right. We probably won't look back at them, but we can. So today, get your votes in for the following 2012 Twins awards: 1.) Twins Hitter of the Year 2012 2.) Twins Pitcher of the Year 2012 3.) Breakout/Surprise Offensive Player of the Year for the Twins 2012 (not necessarily the best hitter, but a guy who far exceeded expectations) - 4.) Breakout/Surprise Pitcher of the Year for the Twins 2012 (may not be the best pitcher, but really stepped up) 5.) Twins Rookie of the Year 2012 6.) Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year 2012 7.) Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year 2012 Let's stop with that for today. We can make more predictions as the season approaches. My votes would be: 1.) Joe Mauer - One injury-plagued season should not deter people from remembering how good he is! 2.) Francisco Liriano - It's a contract year for him. If he wants to make any money, he better step up! 3.) Ben Revere - He made a lot happen last year in the field and on the bases, and he didn't even hit well. Watch him actually get on base in 2012 and see what happens! Should be fun! 4.) Matt Capps - If he's healthy, he is pretty good. Right now, people are very down on him, but he's solid when healthy. 5.) Liam Hendriks - I believe that if any of the starters get hurt in June or early July, Hendriks will be the guy to step in. Parmelee could be the guy if Morneau can't play. 6.) Oswaldo Arcia - Should be back completely at 100% Needs to cut down strikeout rate, but hits and hits for power to all fields. 7.) Alex Wimmers - many thought he would be last year, but it was a crazy season for the right-hander. He could jump 2-3 levels in 2012... we hope! Get your predictions in today! Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 is now available through LuLu.com. If you order quickly, you could have it in time for Twins Fest! 22 players that are scheduled to be at Twins Fest are profiled in this book. If you are interested in order, you can Order Here. Download attachment: MN Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 Cover.jpg In my very-recently released Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, I unveiled my 2012 Twins Top 30 Prospects. I thought it would be fun to analyze the Top 20 prospects to see if any interesting notes, or even trends, emerge. I found a few, but maybe you’ll find even more. A reminder, these are my Top 20 Twins prospects. If you make a prospect list of your own, yours will likely look a little different, but most of the players will be the same with some variance. Here is my Top Top Twins Prospect List: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Ranking Name How Acquired From (Country/State) 1 Miguel Sano Free Agent Dominican Republic 2 Eddie Rosario Drafted – 3rd Round 2010 Puerto Rico 3 Oswaldo Arcia Free Agent Venezuela 4 Aaron Hicks Drafted – 1st Round 2008 US – California 5 Joe Benson Drafted – 2nd Round 2006 US – Illinois 6 Liam Hendriks Free Agent Australia 7 Kyle Gibson Drafted – 1st Round 2009 US – Missouri 8 Adrian Salcedo Free Agent Dominican Republic 9 Alex Wimmers Drafted – 1st Round 2010 US – Ohio 10 Chris Parmelee Drafted – 1st Round 2006 US – California 11 Brian Dozier Drafted – 8th Round 2009 US – Mississippi 12 Travis Harrison Drafted – supp 1st Round 2011 US – California 13 Tom Stuifbergen Free Agent Netherlands 14 Angel Morales Drafted – 3rd Round 2007 Puerto Rico 15 Chris Herrmann Drafted – 6th Round 2009 US – Texas 16 Manuel Soliman Free Agent Dominican Republic 17 Levi Michael Drafted – 1st Round 2011 US – North Carolina 18 Max Kepler Free Agent Germany 19 Niko Goodrum Drafted – 2nd Round 2010 US – Georgia 20 Hudson Boyd Drafted – supp 1st Round 2011 US – Florida Some Notes: ◦Nine of my Top 20 Twins prospects were 1st or 2nd round draft picks. There are two 1st round picks and two supplemental 1st round picks since 2006 that are not on this list. 2007 top pick Ben Revere is no longer a “prospect” since he has spent so much time in the big leagues. Matt Bashore was the Twins supplemental first round pick in 2009 from Indiana. He’s had a couple of arm surgeries and returned to limited action in 2011. Reports indicate that by the end of last season, he had regained most of his velocity and he may have the opportunity to move up prospect lists quickly next season. ◦Following the 2007 season, Torii Hunter chose to sign with the Angels instead of the Twins. Because of that, the Twins received the Angels first round pick in 2008 and the first supplemental first round pick of that draft. With the 27th overall pick, the Twins chose Carlos Gutierrez who does not appear on my Top 20 prospect list, but he is a good relief pitching option who throws really hard with a good sinker but needs to throw more strikes. With the 31st overall pick, the Twins chose a hard-throwing right-hander out of Tulane University names Shooter Hunt who fought Steve Blass Disease since the 2008 season. This past December, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. ◦The Twins have a strong scouting presence all around the world, and that is shown in their top prospect list. Three players are from the Dominican Republic, and there is one player from Venezuela, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany. The Twins also have prospects from Cuba, South Africa, Mexico, Panama, Taiwan and the Czech Republic. ◦Of these top 20 prospects, 13 were drafted by the Twins. Of those, seven are high school hitters. The Twins have had great success drafting hitters out of high school (see Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Joe Mauer, Denard Span, Ben Revere).Aside from Revere and Mauer, most of these players took five or six years to make their big league debuts and more importantly make a big impression in the big leagues. Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee are also examples of this. Drafted in 2006, they made their big league debuts in September of 2011. Each will likely start making a bigger impression on the Twins in 2012. That’s why I always find it funny when people are so disappointed that we haven’t seen Aaron Hicks dominate at the upper levels of the minor leagues yet. Or, although he was drafted a year earlier, Angel Morales is younger than Hicks. Niko Goodrum is one of the best athletes in the organization as well and played very well in Elizabethton last year. Travis Harrison was one of the top power hitting prospects from the high school ranks in the 2011 draft. ◦Although not drafted, Miguel Sano, Oswaldo Arcia and Max Kepler were all signed as 16 year olds and certainly fit into the high-upside young hitter mold!! ◦The other thing that the Twins have done is draft college pitchers in the first rounds of the draft. Just two college-drafted pitchers appear on this list, and each of them has some question marks. Kyle Gibson was the team’s top prospect one year ago, and pitched very well the first two months of 2011. Unfortunately, as we all know, he had to have Tommy John surgery in September and will miss most, if not all, of the 2012 season. Alex Wimmers was the two-time Big 10 Pitcher of the Year at Ohio State. He was a control pitcher that draft experts said was closest to the big leagues. Unfortunately, he had a hamstring injury in spring training last year and it led to some very disturbing control issues. However, he seemed to be a rare example of someone overcoming Steve Blass Disease as he came back late in the season and pitched much better. He ended his season by throwing a 7-inning no-hitter for Ft. Myers. I would expect to see both make starts for the Twins in 2013. ◦The Twins did have three pitchers pitch at three levels in 2011. Reliever Matt Hauser (San Diego State) is my top ranked Twins reliever prospect (#28). Pat Dean (#30) was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2010 from Boston College. Lefty Logan Darnell (#25), the 6th round pick in 2010, was the third. All three pitched briefly with Beloit before spending most of their season in Ft. Myers. Darnell spent the most time in Double-A New Britain. The Twins have a history of being willing to promote college pitchers quickly through the minors. The following players have pitched at three levels in one season with the Twins: Scott Baker, Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing, and Jesse Crain. Matt Garza actually pitched at four levels, including the Twins, in 2006. ◦The Twins hadn’t drafted a high school pitcher in the first round since 2004 when they drafted Kyle Waldrop with the 25th overall pick (Anthony Swarzak was taken in the 2nd round). The Twins used their second supplemental first round pick in 2011 on Hudson Boyd, who not only has shown good control, but he has touched 97 mph on the radar gun. He could move up quickly. ◦Here is a quick look at where these twenty players ended the season playing: Three Did Not Play (2011 draft picks), Four ended the season in Elizabethton, Two in Beloit, Four in Ft. Myers, Two in New Britain, two in Rochester and three with the Twins. You often hear that the Twins prospects are all at the lower levels of the farm system. However, Benson, Parmelee and Hendriks are all top ten prospects who made their big league debuts on September 6. Each figures into the Twins long-term future. Brian Dozier and Chris Herrmann were the high-risers among prospects and both will likely debut with the Twins in 2012 after strong seasons in New Britain and strong showings in the Arizona Fall League. ◦When Baseball America releases its Top 100 Prospects list, Miguel Sano will likely rank in the Top 25-30. It is possible that Rosario, Arcia, Benson and maybe even Gibson will appear in the Top 100 lists. ◦If you listen to Baseball America’s most recent podcast, they discussed their Top 10 rankings for AL Central teams. They clearly had the Royals as the best farm system in the division. They ranked the Twins with the second-best prospects in the division (and middle of the pack overall). They ranked the White Sox and Indians as having the two worst farm systems in all of baseball, with the Tigers very close to the bottom. Any other comments on these twenty prospects of the Twins farm system in general? I’ll be happy to answer them in the Comments. Here are some other thoughts and links: ◦On Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins Caravan came to The Shed in Warroad. Ron Gardenhire, Joe Vavra, Brian Duensing and Glen Perkins were in attendance, along with TC Bear. TwinsBaseball.com’s Rhett Bollinger was there as well. It was a nice event, and very informal. The Twins contingency seemed to really appreciate and enjoy it. It was great to be up close with the players, talk to them and, as a couple of people told me, see them as regular people. I think we (many fans) forget that at times. I have been to several Twins Caravan events over the past five years. I definitely recommend going if you’ve got one in your area. It’s just a great opportunity to meet players, get autographs if you want, and start getting excited for a new Twins season. ◦Speaking of great events, Twins Fest is next weekend. I just got my tickets in the mail yesterday. I plan to be there on Friday night and Satuurday throughout the day. I don’t get the autographs, but I enjoy talking to people, players and fans alike. SO, if you’ll be there, be sure to say hi! ◦Baseball America will be posting its Top 20 Twins Prospectlist on its website today, so be sure to check there this afternoon. I want to welcome any questions or comments that you might have. Feel free to e-mail me or leave your thoughts in the Comments Section! Click here to view the article

After going through the top performing Hitters and Starting Pitchers from April, it's now time to check out which relief pitchers performed best in April. The Twins announced their choices of Byron Buxton and DJ Baxendale as their Hitter and Pitcher of the Month, respectively.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] As we saw with the starting pitcher list, using a beginning and ending point (such as a month) can alter how the numbers look. Alex Meyer may have be been #1 or #2 on the list if not for one inning in which he gave up four runs. Instead, he was #4. With relief pitchers, the low number of innings in a given month means that having one bad outing can really affect the numbers. However, we have a healthy list of relievers who started the 2013 season with a strong first month. Let's get to the Top 5 Relief Pitchers in April: Number 5 – Cedar Rapids – Tim Atherton - 0.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 13 K The 23-year-old from Australia originally signed with the Twins in 2007 as a position player. He was released a year later for some off-field stuff, but re-signed with the Twins, this time as a pitcher, in 2011. He has been quite good since then, and that was the case in April. He pitched the ninth inning of the Kernels’ early-season no-hitter. He struggled some with control last year with the Snappers, but has shown good control to this point in the season. He has a good fastball and a solid slider. He can be deceptive due to a very animated motion. He should move up to Ft. Myers during the season. Number 4 – Ft. Myers – Cole Johnson – 1.69 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 7 K This time last year, Johnson was still toiling in Ft. Myers with the Extended Spring Training group. He was promoted to Beloit when the short-season leagues started. He pitched well for the Snappers in the 2nd half last year and in this spring's minor league camp to earn a spot in the Miracle bullpen. The success has continued through the season’s first month as he gave up just two runs and opponents hit .143 off of him. The 23-year-old from Notre Dame was the Twins 44th round pick in 2011. Number 3 – Cedar Rapids – Steven Gruver – 1.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 22 K A year ago at this time, the 23-year-old Gruver was in the starting rotation for the Beloit Snappers. Last year he made 18 starts and 12 relief appearances and posted a 3.61 ERA. The lefty began this season in the Kernels bullpen and has been pitching in long relief. He has pitched at least two innings in each of his appearances and has pitched as many as four innings in relief. He did go 4.2 innings in one spot start. The 2011 7th round pick from Tennessee throws strikes, hits 91 and has a good slider. He is another guy who just needs a spot to open in Ft. Myers to move up. Number 2 – Ft. Myers – Corey Williams – 2.31 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 5 K In 2012, Williams led the Twins minor leagues with 17 saves while pitching in 47 games for Beloit. The lefty struck out 68 batters in 62.1 innings, but he also walked 33. In his first month in the Florida State League, Williams led the organization with six saves despite sharing save opportunities. However, as you can see, he didn’t strike out many. Encouraging though, he did throw strikes. He was the Twins third round pick in 2011 out of Vanderbilt. He throws hard and has very good stuff. Despite not being promoted last year, Williams is a guy who could move quickly. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: (Photo by Greg Wagner) Ft. Myers – Zack Jones – 1.64 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 11 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 13 K Zack Jones is one of the talented bullpen arms that the Twins selected in the 2012 draft. Unlike some, he will not be getting an opportunity to start. He will be a back-of-the-bullpen arm. When fans hear Zack Jones, the first thing you should think is fastball. Reports last year in Beloit said that radar guns consistently hit 98 mph, with several instances reaching triple-digits. In 2013 with the Miracle, the radar guns are consistently between 96 and 99. He has been splitting time pitching with late-inning leads with Corey Williams. Jones has five saves. Opponents hit just .139 off of him in April. Jones is highly touted and has a chance to move up quickly, but his role and level of success could be determined by his ability to continue to develop a second pitch. Jones said, “Right now, just a slider I’ve been working on. Spent some time messing with different grips and what not, but right now, I believe I have a better grasp of the pitch than I have had previously". “His slider is improving,” said Twins Director of Minor League Operations Brad Steil who added, “He’s being aggressive, throwing strikes and not walking many.” To what does Jones credit his first-month success? “In my opinion, a lot of my success this first month really came from attacking the hitter. I’m starting to develop more confidence with my slider and using that periodically in fastball situations so teams can’t just sit on the fastball,” he continued, “For me, I just try to keep it simple. Come into the game ready and throw strikes down in the zone. Do my best to compete with a relaxed intensity and not let the game speed up on me.” The Miracle are 22-4 on the season. They’ve had strong offense, solid starting pitching and, as you can see from this list, their bullpen has been very good. What’s it like to pitch late in games with Corey Williams, and what can he learn from him? Jones says he learns a lot and they push each other. “I’m lucky to be competing with a pitcher like Corey. I believe a lot of our success comes from us competing with each other and backing each other up. He is a well-rounded pitcher and has a very good mound presence. So, from watching from the bullpen, I try and study how he and other pitchers deal with adversity because that is what makes or breaks a pitcher. We both want the ball just as bad as the other at the end of the game, and we will continue to push each other to be the best we can be.” So, when he gets called in for a save situation, what’s his walk-in music? Jones chuckled and said, “Good question. Guys have different ideas on the walkout music. Some like calm, steady songs, but I’m the opposite. I like feeding my adrenaline when I pitch so I go with something heavy like Metallica.” It may be something he’ll have to have played in Target Field in the future! It was a terrific month for the Ft. Myers Miracle. They were the only team in baseball to end April with 20 wins. Miguel Sano was my choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month. (The Twins officially chose Byron Buxton, which is completely understandable.) DJ Baxendale was my choice for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month. The Twins made him their pitcher of the month. And today, three of my top five relievers, including the top two, are from the Miracle. Hopefully May can be as exciting for the Twins minor league affiliates and their prospects. As always, please feel free to ask any questions you may have. View full article

The Twins and the rest of MLB just completed their 2012 draft. The Twins made 43 picks, six of them in the top 100. I know many expect a lot of first round picks, but also of Top 10 picks. It’s understandable, but I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the Twins 2002 draft. Obviously the Twins didn’t sign all 50 draft choices. Some went to college and were drafted later. I still think it’s good to look at those players because it is a direct reflection on the Twins scouting. I think it’s fun to look at all 50 picks. Please feel comment any of your thoughts on this. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] 1st – Denard Span - High School Hitter – Colorado was rumored to be interested in him with the 9th overall pick. However, they feared his price tag and his football scholarship so they took a left-handed pitcher from the University of British Columbia instead by the name of Jeff Francis. Span finally got a chance with the Twins early in the 2008 season and became a full-time starter later that season. In over 510 big league games (and over 2300 plate appearances), he has hit .285/.360/.386 (.746). The Twins signed him to a long-term deal and it is fair to say that the Twins did very well with this pick. 2nd – Jesse Crain - College Pitcher – Crain went to the University of Houston where he was a Conference USA All Star infielder, a first team All-American Utility player (because he was a starting SS and the team’s closer). In 2003, he moved from Ft. Myers to New Britain to Rochester. In 2004, he was called up at midseason and went 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 22 games. In 2005, he went 12-5 with a 2.71 ERA. In 2006, he was 3-4 with a 3.52 ERA. He was signed to a 3-year deal before the 2007 season and needed surgery late that year. He really struggled until mid-May of 2010, and then something clicked. He was one of baseball’s best relievers the second half of 2010. He signed a big contract with the White Sox where he has gone 9-3 with a 2.55 ERA the last two seasons. Yes, a great pick. 3rd – Mark Sauls - High School Pitcher – The Panama City, Florida, native did not sign. Instead, he went to Florida State where he joined his brother Matt. He played there for four years and was never drafted again. He went 5-0 with a 3.27 ERA as a freshman. In 91.1 innings, he gave up 110 hits, 40 walks and struck out just 52. He was 6-2 with a 4.18 ERA in his junior year. Following his senior season, he signed as a free agent with the Angels. He went 11 innings and gave up 12 hits and walked six. He made the FSU Dean’s List and majored in Social Sciences. 4th – Alex Merricks - High School Pitcher – The Oxnard, California, native is a lefty that signed. He spent three years with the GCL Twins. In 2002, he went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in nine games, including two starts. However, in 15 innings, he walked 16 hitters. In 2003, he went 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA. In 15 innings, he had 37 walks and 14 wild pitches. In 2004, he walked 26 and threw 14 wild pitches in 14 innings. That was the end of his pitching career.” 5th – Michael Thomas - High School Hitter- Thomas was another selection from Panama City, Florida. He too did not sign. 6th – Pat Neshek - College Pitcher – As you all know, Neshek was drafted by the Twins in the 45th round of the 1999 draft. He went to Butler and improved his stock significantly. He signed with the Twins. In 2005, he went 6-4 with a 2.19 ERA and had 24 saves in New Britain. He was added to the 40 man roster. In 2006, he started in Rochester where he went 6-2 with a 1.95 ERA. In 60 innings, he had 14 walks and 87 strikeouts. That earned him a midseason promotion to the Twins. In 37 big leagues innings, he went 4-2 with a 2.19 ERA. He struck out 53 and walked just six. In 2007, he was so good in the first half of the season that he was on the ballot for the final AL All-Star spot (it went to Hideki Okajima). For the season, he went 7-2 with a 2.94 ERA. In 70.1 innings, he struck out 74 and walked 27. Early in the 2008 season, he hurt his arm and later needed Tommy John surgery which cost him his 2009 season. He worked really hard and came back and spent time with the Twins in 2010. He was claimed by the Padres in 2011, and he is currently with Norfolk, the AAA affiliate of the Orioles. 7th – Ricky Barrett - College Pitcher – Barrett is another pitcher on the current Twins 40 man roster. The Twins took him out of the University of San Diego where he was the 2002 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. He got to Rochester in 2005. He is a lefty who struck out more than a hitter an inning. He clearly has great stuff. His primary problem throughout his career has been trying to stay healthy. He spent some time in Japan in 2009 and has played in independent baseball two of the last three years. 8th – Adam Lind - High School Hitter – The Anderson, Indiana, native obviously chose not to sign with the Twins. Instead he went to the University of South Alabama. He then was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004. Obviuosly he signed with them. He did nothing but hit in the minors. In 2005, he hit .392/.456/.659. In 2006, he hit .310/.357/.543 at AA, .394/.496/.596 at AAA and .367/.415/.600 in 18 games with the Blue Jays. In 2007, he had to spend another 46 games in AAA before hitting .238/.278/.400 in 89 games with the Jays. In 2009, he hit .305 with 46 doubles, 35 homers and 114 RBI. He turned that into a four year deal, and he has been pretty poor since. His OPS in 2010 was .712, and in 2011 it was .734. It was .586 in 34 games this year before he was demoted to AAA where he is now. 9th – Doug Deeds - College Hitter – An Outfield/1B from THE Ohio State, Deeds has progressed through the Twins system. His breakout year was 2005 in New Britain where he had 52 extra base hits. He had to repeat the level in 2006 and had 51 extra base hits. In 2007, he moved up to Rochester where he was a bench player for the first time. In 86 games, he hit .243/.306/.404. But he did have seven doubles and nine home runs. That was the end of his time with the Twins. He has spent AAA time with the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rangers and now the Angels organizations. 10th – Kyle Phillips – HS Hitter – Phillips is the brother of former Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays catcher/1B Jason Phillips. Kyle Phillips signed and hit .289 with Elizabethton in 2003. Never again hit over .230 in his time in the Twins system (Quad Cities, Ft. Myers and New Britain). Since 2006, he has played in the Brewers, Blue Jays and Padres organization (until this year, he appears to be out of baseball). He got some big league time with the Jays in 2009 and the Padres in 2011. 11th – Evan Meek – High School Pitcher – Meek didn’t sign right away. Instead he went to Bellevue Community College and signed with the Twins as a draft-and-follow. In 2003, he went 7-1 with a 2.47 ERA. In 51 innings, he walked 24 and struck out 47. I’m sure his scouting report read something like, “Tremendous fastball, great potential, but he needs to harness his control to continue to advance.” Well, in 2004, he went to Quad Cities where he walked 15 and gave up seven hits in 5.2 innings. He went back to Extended Spring Training and went back to Elizabethton. There, he worked 22.1 innings and gave up 18 hits and walked 25 (with 11 wild pitches). In 2005, he went back to the Midwest League, to Beloit, where he pitched in 13 games. In 18 innings, he gave up 15 hits and walked 36. The Twins let him go. In 2006, he pitched for Lake Elsinore, the A-League team of the San Diego Padres. He made 25 starts. In 119.1 innings, he gave up 136 hits and walked 62. He did strike out 113 hitters. In August, the Padres traded him to the Devil Rays. In 2007, he made 44 relief appearances for the Rays AA affiliate. He went 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA. In 67 innings, he gave up 74 hits, walked 34 and struck out 69. The Pirates took him in the Rule 5 draft after the 2007 season. They offered him back to the Rays but the Rays told them to keep him so he stayed with the Piraated. By 2009, he was an important cog in the bullpen. In 2010, he was a National League All-Star and posted a 2.14 ERA in 80 innings. He was again good in 2011. He has struggled in 2012 and was optioned to AAA recently. 12th – Jeff Clement – High School Hitter – The Twins drafted Clement, knowing that it was quite unlikely that the Marshalltown, Iowa, native would not sign. At the time, he was the career high school home run king. He chose to go to USC where he hit 46 homers in three years. In 2005, the Mariners took the catcher with the third overall pick. He was injured for a good chunk of the 2006 season, but Seattle continued to push him. In 2007, he hit .275/.370/.497 with 35 double and 20 homers. He got a September call up and went 6-16 with two home runs. Unfortunately, Clement has accumulated a ton more plate appearances in AAA and played rarely in the big leagues. He is hitting .316/.398/.557 (.955) with 23 extra base hits in AAA this year so he could move up to the Pirates again soon. 13th – William Pettit – College Pitcher – The Twins took him out of LSU, but for some reason he did not sign. 14th - Garrett Mock - JC Pitcher – The Twins took Mock out of Grayson Junior College in 2002. He had been drafted by Cleveland in 2001. He finally signed after the Diamondbacks took him with their 3rd round pick out of Houston in 2004. In August of 2006, Arizona traded Mock with Matt Chico to the Nationals for Livan Hernandez. He pitched in just 15 games this year, 11 of them were for AA Harrisburg. He spent time with the Nationals big league bullpen from 2008 through 2010. This season, he is pitching in the Red Sox AAA bullpen. 15th – Adam Harben - CC Pitcher – Another draft-and-follow, Harben went to Westark CC. He had been drafted by the Tigers in the 38th round in 2001. In 2004, he went 9-7 with a 3.09 ERA at Quad Cities. In 2005, he went 10-5 with a 2.66 ERA in Ft. Myers and was added to the 40 man roster. In 2006, he got off to a quick start at New Britain, but went 4-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 122.2 innings. Then on September 5, 2006, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Phil Nevin. After the 2006 season, he had Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2007 season. He pitched in Hi-A in 2008. He went to the Mariners organization and pitched in A-ball in 2009. He hasn’t played since. 16th – K.C. Jones - High School Pitcher – The 6-6, 220 pounder from Eatonville, Washington signed with the Twins. In 2002 with the GCL Twins he went 0-1 with a 3.10 ERA. In 29 innings, he gave up 20 hits, walked 21 and struckout 21. In 2003 he was 0-3 with a 7.22 ERA. In 33.2 innings, he gave up 50 hits, walked 23 and struckout 15. He did pitch for Chillethe of the Frontier League in 2005 and went 0-1 with an 8.55 ERA. IN 20 innings, he gave up 30 hits, walked 11 and struck out 14. 17th – Adam Hawes – High School Pitcher – Hawed decided not to sign with the Twins out of high school. Instead, he went to community college and the Twins took him in the 40th round in 2003. He signed in May of 2004. Hawes split the 2007 season between Beloit and Ft. Myers. He played independent ball in his native Canada in 2008. 18th – Javier Lopez- CC Hitter – The catcher/1B signed and played for the GCL Twins in 2002 and 2003 where he hit .253 and .237, respectively. In 2004, he moved up to Elizabethton where he hit .244/.276/.394. He was let go and spent 2005 and 2006 with Yuma in the Golden League. 19th – Adam Daniels - CC Pitcher – Daniels did not sign, but he was drafted plenty. The Blue Jays took him in the 27th round in 2001. Colorado took him in the 22nd round in 2003, and the Cubs drafted him in the 43rd round in 2004. Oh, and then in 2005, the Cardinals drafted him in the 15th round. In 2006, he pitched for the Cardinals Midwest League team and went 7-11 with a 3.07 ERA. He struck out 128 in 137.2 innings. He split 2007 between Hi-A and AA. He was released during the 2008 season and spent time in Mexico and the Northern League, where he pitched in 2009 and 2010. 20th – Ryan Schreppel - High School Pitcher – The Stockton, California, native did not sign with the Twins instead opting to go to Cal-State Fullerton. The Diamondbacks took him in 2005 in the 8th round. He signed with them and went 6-1 with a 1.92 ERA in 12 games. In 2006, he went 6-13 with a 5.00 ERA in 26 games for South Bend. 21st – TJ Prunty - College Pitcher – Prunty did not sign with the Twins when they drafted the St. Paul Academy grad in the 20th round in 2000. Instead he went and played football at Miami. The Twins took him again, and this time he signed. In 2003, he pitched at Quad Cities. He went 4-10 with a 4.97 ERA in 30 games (19 starts). He went back to Quad Cities in 2004 where he went 0-0 with a 5.93 ERA in 10 games. He gave up 14 hits and seven walks in 13.2 innings before he was released. 22nd – Justin Sims – College Hitter – Determining what college stats mean for a pro career is so tough. Sims was drafted out of Middle Tennessee State. In 2001, he hit .377/.416/.636 with 10 homers. In 2002, he hit .387/.446/.618 with 11 homers. Then he signed and hit just .248/.354/.358 for Elizabethton. In 2003, he hit just .197/.241/.289 and was let go. 23rd – Danny Matienzo – College Hitter – Matienzo had been drafted by the Twins in the 24th round in 1999 out of high school. He went to The U (Miami) and the Twins took him again. His big year came in 2005 at New Britain when he hit .282/.338/.488 with 36 doubles and 23 homers. Inexplicably, he was sent back to New Britain in 2006 and really wasn’t the same. He hit just .254/.287/.419 with 25 doubles and 17 homers. He was released before the 2007 season. 24th – Josh Peterson - High School Hitter – He did not sign. He then signed with the Mets as a free agent in 2004. He spent 2006 and 2007 with St. Lucie of the Florida State League. He is a utility type player, able to play both corner infield positions and corner outfield positions. 25th – Justin Keeling - College Pitcher – Keeling signed out of California Lutheran. In 2002 in Elizabethton he went 3-1 with a 6.16 ERA in 22 relief appearances. In 30.2 innings, he struck out 34 and walked 16. He pitched in just four games for Quad Cities in 2004. Since then, he has played for several independent league teams. 26th – Jared Johnson – High School Pitcher- The Las Vegas native didn’t sign with the Twins. The Marlins then took him in the 43rd round in 2003 and the 46th round in 2004. In 2006, he played for two independent league teams… as a hitter. He didn’t hit over .226 though. 27th – Ron Perodin – College Hitter – He signed quickly out of El Camino College. Speaking of quick, Perodin was one of the quickest players in the organization. After signing, he went to the GCL Twins where he hit .325/.371/.390 with nine stolen bases. He started 2003 with Quad Cities where he really struggled. He went back to Elizabethton and hit .335/.405/.418 with 15 steals. In 2004, he stole 24 bases in Ft. Myers. He played independent ball from 2006 through 2011. 28th – Hasan Rasheed – High School Hitter – The outfielder from Nashville did not sign. He went to Lake City CC and the Brewers selected him in the 26th round in 2003. He signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004 with the Brewers. In 2004 and 2005, he hit .299 and .305. In 2006 he hit .241/.337/.259. 29th – James Avery – High School Pitcher – The pitcher from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, did not sign, opting to pitch at Niagara University. He became the Reds 5th round pick in 2005. He went 8-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 26 starts in the Florida State League in 2006. In 2007, he pitched for AA Chattanooga and went 11-10 with a 5.22 ERA in 27 starts. In 2008, he played for Team Canada in the Olympics. He pitched in one AAA game for the Reds in 2006 and one in 2010, but that is it. He’s been in AA since 2007. He shifted to the Tigers for 2012 where he is pitching in AA. 30th – Roberto Martinez - College Pitcher – Martinez is a native of the Dominican Republic who went to St. Petersburg College. He didn’t sign with the Twins. He had been selected by the Rockies in the 21st round in 2001. In 2004, he signed with the Giants as a free agent after spending 2003 with the Expos organization. 31st – Terry Killion – High School Pitcher – From Austin, TX, he signed and spent 2003 with the GCL Twins. In 16 relief appearances, he went 0-1 with a 9.60 ERA. In 15 innings, he walked 22 and gave up 18 hits. 32nd – Jon Koch - CC Pitcher – Koch had been drafted in the 22nd round in 2001 by the Pirates, but instead went to Lake City Community College. He signed as a draft and follow with the Twins in May of 2003. He went 2-3 with three saves an a 2.73 ERA for the GCL Twins. He was released by the Twins in June of 2004. He spent the 2004 through 2006 season with the Brockton Rox. 33rd – Tom Ferrara - CC Pitcher – He did not sign. 34th – Christian Castorri- High School Pitcher – The Thomasville, Georgia, native did not sign. Instead her went to Georgia College and State University. He pitched or Gateway of the Frontier League in 2006. In 2007, he played with State College in the New York-Penn League for three games before moving up to Hickory (HI-A) where he went 5-2 with eight saves and a 1.93 ERA. He pitched in the Pirates system through the 2009 season. 35th – Tarrence Patterson - High School Hitter – From Bartow, Florida, Patterson signed and reported to Ft. Myers. He spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons hitting over .300 with the GCL Twins. In 2004, he hit just .224/.250/.406 for Elizabethton. In 2005 at Beloit, he hit .254/.331/.345 and stole 18 bases. He returned to Beloit in 2006 where he hit .257/.317/.306 with 35 stolen bases. He was released before the 2007 season. 36th – John Cahill - High School Pitcher – From Lakewood, California, Cahill signed with the Twins in June of 2002 and was released in April of 2003. For the GCL team, he went 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in 14 relief appearances. In 17 innings, he walked 17 and struck out nine. He pitched for Yakima in 2005. In 12 innings over 8 games, he gave up 11 runs on 20 hits and seven walks. 37th – Mike Costantino – High School Hitter – The Somerset, Massechusetts, grab, did not sign with the Twins. Instead, he attended Maryland in 2003 and 2004. He hit .309/.385/.457 as a freshman and then in his sophomore year he hit just .246/.319/.308. He transferred to New Orleans where he hit over .300 both years. One positive is that he consistent walked more than he struck out. 38th – Toby Gardenhire - CC Hitter – Gardy’s son was taken by the Twins out of Westark Community College. He didn’t sign and went to Illinois. The Twins took him in the 41st round in 2005. He was a utility infielder for the Twins, up to AAA Rochester, through the 2011 season. In early 2012, he became the head coach at UW-Stout. 39th - Brandon Doddo – High School Hitter – From Cooper City, Florida, Doddo did not sign and went to Broward Community College. In 2003 he was drafted by the Angels in the 36th round. In 2004, he got 76 at bats with the Angels Arizona Rookie League team and hit .250/.278/.303. 40th – Rodney Story - CC Pitcher – Story was drafted out of Gulf Coast Community College. He didn’t sign and went to Southeast Louisiana. He pitched in 17 games (15 starts) and went 3-6 with a 4.14 ERA. In 78.1 innings, he gave up 83 hits, 31 walks and struck out just 50. In 2005, he made 15 starts again and was 5-5 with a 5.42 ERA. In 96.1 innings, he gave up 122 hits, 29 walks and struck out 53. 41st – Chris Brown – High School Hitter – The Cooper City, Florida, second baseman did not sign. 42nd – Kyle Geiger - CC Hitter – Geiger went to Rend Lake CC and signed as a draft and follow. He split 2003 between Quad Cities and Elizabethton. In 2004, he split time between Quad Cities and Ft. Myers. In 2005, he hit .257 at Ft. Myers .In 2006, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain. In 2007, he hit .250/.301/.362 for the New Britain Rockcats. In 2008, he played in Ottawa. 43rd – Jacob Jean – CC Pitcher – The Twins took him out of Consumnes Community College. He didn’t sign and went to the University of Kansas. In 2004, he gave up 30 hits and 15 walks in 19 innings. In 2005, he gave up seven hits and six walks in seven innings. He pitched in 16 games for the White Sox Bristol affiliate in the Appalachian League. He gave up 63 hits and 20 walks in 48 innings. In 2006, also at Bristol, he was 0-1 with a 20.06 ERA in 12 games. In 11.2 innings, he gave up 17 hits and 18 walks. 44th – Chris Beatty - High School Pitcher – The Kokomo, Indiana, grad went to Arizona State instead of signing with the Twins. In 2003, he pitched in eight games and in 6.1 innings, he gave up seven hits and five walks. 45th – John Stocco – High School Pitcher – Stocco, a graduate of Holy Angels Academy in Richfield, MN, did not sign. Instead he went to the University of Wisconsin where he was a starting quarterback for three seasons. He had been throwing to Larry Fitzgerald in high school. Wisconsin was 29-7 when Stocco was their starter. 46th – Wayne Renfrow- High School Pitcher – Another high schooler from Virginia Beach drafted, Renfrow decided not to sign. He went to Old Dominion where in 2003 he went 0-5 with an 8.57 ERA. In 34.2 innings, he gave up 46 hits and 33 walks. In 2005, he went to Virginia Commonwealth where he was 2-4 with a 7.36 ERA. In 47.2 innings he gave up 53 hits and 39 walks. In 2006, he pitched for Division III Virginia Wesleyan where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice. He signed with the Dodgers and in 2006 he went 1-1 with a 0.60 ERA in three games. In 15 innings, he gave up nine hits, walked five and struck out 16. He then pitched one game with Ogden and gave up two hits and a walk (And threw two wild pitches) in just 1/3 of an inning. 47th – Brandon Carlton – High School Pitcher – Another Panama City draftee, Carlton also did not sign. He went to Gulf Coast Community College. In 2005, he went to Southeast Louisiana where he went 0-1 with a 5.13 ERA in 23 games. In 33.1 innings, he gave up 33 hits and walked 18. 48th – Brandon Cohen - High School Hitter – From Rivers Edge, NJ, Cohen did not sign. He went to Seton Hall for four years and graduated with a criminal justice major. His sophomore season, he hit .325/.472/.397. Then he hit .263 as a junior and .293 as a senior. 49th – Brock Peterson – High School Hitter – As we all know, Peterson signed out of his Chehalis, Washington, high school. He has simply worked his way up the Twins system, an incredible feat for a 49th round pick. He repeated Ft. Myers in 2006 and it was a great thing for him. In 2007, he moved up to New Britain and in 112 games, he hit .385/.382/.476 with 21 doubles, four triples and 15 homers. He began 2008 in New Britain but ended it with Rochester where he played in 2009 and 2010 as well. He spent 2011 with Bridgeport (independent) where he is playing again this year. 50th – Mike Ballard - High School Pitcher – Another Virginia Beach guy, Ballard did not sign and instead he went to the University of Virginia. The Twins drafted him again in 2005, in the 47th round. In 2006, the Texas Rangers took him in the 14th round. In 2007, he split the season between Low A Clinton and High A Bakersfield. He split 2008 and 2009 between AA and AAA with the Rangers. He spent all of 2010 in AAA. In 2011, he moved to the Orioles organization and pitched in AA and AAA. This year, he is 1-4 with a 3.12 ERA in ten starts for Harrisburg (Nationals AA). SUMMARY – So, what do you think? It took Span seven years to become a big league regular, but he has proven to be a great pick. Jesse Crain was a terrific pick. In all, eight of these players played some time in the big leagues, and many of them got up to AAA. In a vacuum, that seems like a very good number. In ten years, how many of the 43 Twins selections from the 2012 draft will call themselves big leaguers? Download attachment: Denard Span HS.jpg Click here to view the article

We are all very excited about the potential of Jose (JO) Berrios. DJ Baxendale has been the best pitcher in the Twins organization to this point of the season. Tyler Duffey has been strong and consistent through the year. Two other 2012 draft picks made impressive starts on Tuesday night. 2nd Round Mason Melotakis looked to end the Cedar Rapids Kernels’ six-game losing streak. 11th round pick Taylor Rogers looked to keep the good times rolling for the Miracle.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It would be nice to get Luke Bard and JT Chargois going, but even without those two starting yet, the Twins 2012 draft class is off to a very strong start. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Tuesday: Rochester Red Wings, Lehigh Valley IronPigs This game was suspended by rain with one out in the top of the 5th inning. Andrew Albers was working on his first clunker of the season. Jeff Clement had homered. When the game is completed, we’ll provide the game’s story. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Richmond Squirrels 2 Box Score Logan Darnell had another very good start but unfortunately the Rock Cats' bats were kept quiet. Darnell has been very good of late. In this game, he went six innings. The lefty gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out five. Cole Johnson came to the team from Ft. Myers and got into game action right away. He pitched a scoreless inning in his AA debut despite giving up two hits and a walk. Michael Tonkin came on and struck out five over two perfect innings. Jordan Parraz hit his second home run in the week. It was one of just three hits for the team. Down a run in the ninth, Reynaldo Rodriguez doubled to lead off the inning. AJ Pettersen bunted him to third base, but the team was unable to plate the game-tying run. Bruce Pugh was put on the disabled list. Cole Johnson and catcher Kyle Knudson were promoted to the Rock Cats. Ft. Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 0 Box Score Aderlin Mejia continues to impress with the Miracle, but it was different player who didn't start the season with the team who was the story tonight. In last year's draft the Twins selected Taylor Rogers in the 11th round out of the University of Kentucky. He began the season with the Kernels but was promoted to Ft. Myers at the start of this month. On this night, he worked seven shutout innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out seven to improve to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.32 with the Miracle. Ryan O’Rourke returned to the Miracle bullpen and threw a scoreless inning. He struck out two. Matt Hauser struck out the side in the 9th. Photo by William Parmeter Mejia is supposed to be in Ft. Myers waiting for the Elizabethton season to start. If he keeps playing like he has, he may have to stick. In this game, he went 2-2 with three walks. He doubled for the fourth time and stole his eighth base. Eddie Rosario went 2-3 with two walks and his 10th double. Miguel Sano went 2-4 with his 14th double. Jhon Goncalves went 2-4 with his fourth double. Angel Morales was also 2-4. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Clinton LumberKings 4 Box Score The Kernels found a winning formula to end their six-game losing streak. They got some big hits, including a couple home runs, and a terrific start. Like Rogers and Baxendale, Mason Melotakis was a 2012 draft pick. He improved to 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA with seven strong innings in this game. He started with six shutout innings before yielding two runs in the seventh. In all, he gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out three. Tim Atherton pitched the eighth. He gave up two runs on a walk and a home run. Steven Gruver struck out two in a scoreless ninth. JD Williams led the offense. He went 3-4 with his fifth home run. Byron Buxton went 3-5. Travis Harrison knocked his eighth home run. Jorge Polanco hit his seventh triple. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

Last week, we began to look at the Minnesota Twins organizational depth by looking at all of the outfielders and then all of the infielders in the in the system. Today, we return and take a look at all of the catchers. As with all spring trainings, a lot of catchers are needed just to catch bullpens and to allow players to gradually work up to squatting for nine innings.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] As we have done in the previous articles, we will consider which players may fill the rosters of the Twins minor league affiliates. Of course, this is all just an educated guess. As I’ve said, any of this could be altered by an unexpected free agent signing or a trade. For instance, if the Twins sign a big bat for their bench, the odds of a third catcher with the big league roster drops significantly. Sadly, not all of these players will remain in the organization beyond spring training. Some may wind up on the Disabled List. Others may find themselves looking for another job in baseball, or maybe not in baseball. Hopefully this list will remind you of which players are in the organization. So let’s get to it. Here are the Catchers in the Minnesota Twins organization: Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit (DH), Drew Butera In 2012, Manager Ron Gardenhire seemed to find the perfect mix among his catchers. Joe Mauer started 72 games behind the plate, 30 games at first base and DHed most of the other games on his way to career highs in games played and plate appearances. Ryan Doumit was the team’s primary DH, but he also started 52 games behind the plate as well as played some in the outfield. Having them in the lineup most days meant that Drew Butera was rarely a starter, just 27 games all season. Although Joe Mauer will want to catch some more in 2012, hopefully they will be able to maintain a similar balance and keep his bat in the lineup most days. Doumit also was able to stay healthy which will be important to the 2013 Twins. Butera remains the team’s third catcher, although it is possible he will being 2013 in Rochester, as he did a year ago. Rochester Red Wings Chris Herrmann, Eric Fryer, Danny Lehmann Chris Herrmann debuted with the Twins in mid-September after thinking his season was complete. He was able to record his first Major League hit, but he has had a rough spring training and will begin his first season in Triple A. The hope would be that he’ll hit a little bit and continue to improve his defense. He should also play some in the outfield and take over the third catcher role for the Twins by mid-season. Fryer is a 27-year-old backstop who has eight big league hits over the past two seasons. Lehmann is generally considered the top defensive catcher in the Twins system. He’s Butera without quite the arm. New Britain Rock Cats Josmil Pinto, Dan Rohlfing Rohlfing has had a very nice showing in big league camp this year. Of his four hits, two are doubles and one is a home run. He is an athletic catcher who plays left field well. He has also done well in his time at first base in the past week of spring training. Pinto had a breakout season in Ft. Myers in 2012 and ended it with a nice showing in his brief time with New Britain. For his efforts, the Twins re-signed him as a minor league free agent and then added him to the 40 man roster. Ft. Myers Miracle Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch, Jairo Rodriguez Kyle Knudson was invited to spring training after splitting 2012 between Beloit and Ft. Myers. For the first time since signing with the Twins after being drafted out of the University of Minnesota, he is healthy. Matt Koch started out the 2012 strong with the Beloit Snappers. He did a nice job behind the plate and also was the team’s DH sometimes. Jairo Rodriguez was the #2 catcher most of the year in Beloit a season ago. Cedar Rapids Kernels Jhonatan Arias, Tyler Grimes, Bo Altobelli, Bryan Santy Arias played primarily for Beloit in 2011, but he returned to Elizabethton in 2012 and finally put up some good offensive numbers. Grimes is likely to spend his third straight year (including his drafted year) in the Midwest League. However, he transitioned to catcher during the instructional league after the 2012 season and will continue to play there in 2013. Altobelli and Santy were both late round 2012 draft picks from colleges. Extended Spring Training/Short-Season Kelly Cross, Brian Compton, Jorge Fernandez, Joel Polanco, Michael Quesada (Suspended) Kelly Cross will be entering his fourth season in the organization. He spent two years in the GCL, and did move up to Elizabethton and played a little last year. He will have to take some major strides in 2013. Jorge Fernandez was a Twins draft pick in 2012 out of Puerto Rico. He has a chance to be solid, but patience will be needed. Brian Compton was signed a year ago for depth in the GCL and likely remains through EST for the same. Polanco is a 20-year-old who spent the last two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. Last year, he hit .254/.369/.381 (.749) with 15 doubles. He also threw out 56% of would-be base stealers. Quesada was drafted in 2010, and in 2012 made his first appearances in Elizabethton. Unfortunately, he received a 50 game suspension and he will need to serve that into the Elizabethton season, which will start in late June. TOP PROSPECTS 1.) Chris Herrmann, 2.) Dan Rohlfing, 3.) Jorge Fernandez, SUMMARY Fortunately the Twins have Joe Mauer locked up for the next half-dozen years. Ryan Doumit is likely to be around for two more seasons. Chris Herrmann is close and can fill a utility/catcher role for several years. Beyond that, there is not much in terms of upside catching prospects in the Twins system. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Comments Section! View full article