Seth Stohs

The Twins got a nice 4-3 win last night at Target Field in the first game of the final home stand of the season. Brian Dozier knocked his 18th home run of the season to send the game to extra innings. In the 11th inning, Josmil Pinto drove in the game-winning run for the Twins. As the season is winding down, it seems there are fewer people wanting to talk about the Twins, and understandably so. But here are several topics that are interesting, if nothing else: Last night's Twins win marked the 998th win in the Twins managerial career of Ron Gardenhire. Obviously a big talker over the next week will be whether or not the Twins will (or should) retain him as their manager for 2014 and beyond. No matter what you think of his style or his overall success, 998 wins is noteworthy. Consider, in the long history of Major League Baseball, only 59 managers have reached the 1,000 Win plateau. The most recent manager to attain the milestone was former Twins player Charlie Manuel who achieved it with the Phillies. Of course, once he reached 1,000 wins, the Phillies fired him and have now replaced him with Ryne Sandberg. Josmil Pinto had the big hit last night, and he has come up with many big hits over the course of his short time with the Twins. It caused me to got back a couple of seasons to look at another September call up who made a great first impression. In 2011, Chris Parmelee came up to the Twins following a solid second season in New Britain. He was 23 years old and played in 21 games. In 88 plate appearances, he hit .355/.443/.592 (1.035) with six doubles and four home runs. Josmil Pinto came up just a short stint in Rochester and debuted on September 1st. He was 24 years old and has played in 17 games so far. In 68 plate appearances, he is hitting .359/.397/.578 (.975) with five doubles and three home runs. That comparison is not meant as a knock to either player. Chris Parmelee will turn 26 next spring training, so there is no reason to give up on him as a big league hitter. And, this isn't to say that Pinto won't be a fixture on the Twins roster and in the lineup for years to come. Brian Dozier's still hitting just .248 on the season, but his .739 OPS is finally giving him a 102 OPS+, which is to say that it is better than league average. Considering that after a May 27th game, he was hitting just .197, he's put together a very solid season. Since that game (now 104 games, so not completely in the realm of small sample any longer), he has hit .266/.339/.479 (.817) with 30 doubles, two triples and 17 (of his 18) home runs. We know about his defense at second base. His 1.5 DWAR trails only Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler among MLB second basemen. His 705 total chances is tops among all second basemen. His overall WAR (according to ESPN) of 3.8 ranks seventh among second basemen, trailing Robinson Cano (7.4), Matt Carpenter (6.6), Dustin Pedroia (6.3), Jason Kipnis (5.3), Ben Zobrist (4.7), and Ian Kinsler (4.6). His 18 home runs are behind only Cano (27), Dan Uggla (22), and Jedd Gyorko (20). Long-time Twins infielder/outfielder/pitcher(?) Michael Cuddyer is about to win the National League batting title. Entering play today, Cuddyer is batting a robust .334. He is currently leading the Braves' Chris Johnson (.327) and the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter (.324). Couldn't happen to a better, most standout guy. If not for the frustrations of the 2011 season, I believe he would have loved to have stayed in Minnesota for his whole career. He represents all that a Minnesota Twins player should be. He was a starter for the National League in the All-Star game this year (his second All- Star game), and put on an impressive display in the Home Run Derby. Since joining the Pirates, Justin Morneau is hitting .254/.354/.299 (.653) with three doubles. Jamey Carroll has had three hits in 39 at bats for the Royals since they acquired him at the end of July. He is sitting on 999 career hits. Six games to go... The Twins will play three more against Detroit followed by three games against Cleveland. And then we will go almost four and a half months before spring training!

Last week at Twins Daily, we presented several minor league awards. This week, I wanted to present the organization's minor league All-Star team. As we have discussed many times here throughout the year, it was a terrific season in the Twins farm system. That can be further illustrated by looking at this All-Star team, and a potential lineup. How do you think the following lineup would compare against All-Star lineups from other organizations? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] CF Byron Buxton SS Jorge Polanco 2B Eddie Rosario 3B Miguel Sano DH Chris Colabello C Josmil Pinto 1B Dalton Hicks RF Adam Walker LF JD Williams Photo by Seth Stohs includes three members of this All Star roster. From L to R: JD Williams, Byron Buxton, Adam Walker, Romy Jimenez Byron Buxton is the best prospect in baseball, and he had a tremendous all-around season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Ft. Myers Miracle. His plate discipline, power and speed make him the nearly perfect prospect. All the comparisons to Mike Trout as a prospect are absolutely accurate. I did take a bit of liberty in putting Jorge Polanco as my shortstop, but he did play the position in 49 games in 2013. He was signed as a defensive infielder, but after a strong short-season at Elizabethton in 2012, he put up some terrific numbers. He hit .308 with 47 extra base hits for the Kernels this year. Eddie Rosario has been a big prospect since being named the Appy League Player of the Year. However, he has taken his prospect status to a new level. He hit .302 with 50 extra base hits between Ft. Myers and New Britain this year as a 21 year old. He has made himself a decent second baseman and will easily be able to handle a move back to the outfield if necessary. Miguel Sano can hit cleanup in many lineups, including one made up by me. Like Rosario, Sano played for both Ft. Myers and New Britain, only he did it at the age of 20. He hit .280 with a .992 OPS, and he accounted for 70 extra base hits including 35 home runs. Chris Colabello may have struggled in his time with the Twins, but what he was doing in Rochester was incredible. The 29-year-old first baseman was named the International League Rookie of the Year and MVP. In 89 games with the Red Wings hit .352 with a 1.066 OPS. He also hit 25 doubles and 24 home runs. Josmil Pinto has flown under the radar for several years. He's made a strong first big league impression with the Twins, but he was terrific in New Britain and Rochester this year. Combined, he hit .302 with an .882 OPS. He is also known for having great plate discipline. The backstop also has a very strong arm. Dalton Hicks led the organization in RBI this season with 110. He had 82 RBI in 89 games in Cedar Rapids before driving in another 28 runs in Ft. Myers. He combined to hit .289 with an .826 OPS. Adam Walker's 109 RBI was second only to Hicks in the organization and led the Midwest League. His 27 home runs also led the league. The 21-year-old hit .278 with an .844 OPS in his first full season of professional baseball. Only Miguel Sano may have more raw power in the organization than does Walker. JD Williams repeated in the Midwest League for the first half of the 2013 season, and it was beneficial for him. He was a different player. His approach at the plate was vastly improved as evidenced by his .372 on base percentage. His is still raw and very toolsy. He has good speed and some power. So, the next obvious question is what about the pitching? Here are my choices for the 2013 Twins All Star team: LH SP - Taylor Rogers RH SP - Alex Meyer Taylor Rogers was my choice for Twins starting pitcher of the year. He combined to go 11-7 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He led the organization with three complete games and two shutouts and in his playoff game for the Miracle, he threw nine shutout innings. Alex Meyer missed nearly three months of the season and yet, in his 16 starts, he posted a 2.99 ERA. In 78.1 innings, he struck out an impressive 11.5 per nine innings. Upon his return from the shoulder issues, he was again hitting triple-digits on the radar gun. LH RP - Edgar Ibarra RH RP - Zach Jones Closer - Tyler Jones Ibarra posted a 1.93 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP between New Britain and Rochester in 2013. As he heads to the Arizona Fall League, Zach Jones boasts a 1.85 ERA and 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings this season with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Tyler Jones was my choice for reliever of the year. Between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, he recorded 13 saves and posted a 2.58 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He walked 3.4 per nine while striking out 11.4 per nine. All-in-all, it was a tremendous season in the Twins farm system. There were team successes, and most important, prospects (and specifically key prospects) took another step forward in their development. 2014 may be another rough season for the Twins, but it should be a year in which the next core of Twins players debuts. I'm already envisioning a September 2014 lineup that includes: C - Josmil Pinto, 1B - Joe Mauer, 2B - Brian Dozier, 3B - Miguel Sano, SS - Pedro Florimon, LF - Aaron Hicks, CF - Byron Buxton, RF - Eddie Rosario, and DH - Oswaldo Arcia. I'm envisioning a starting rotation that includes the likes of Alex Meyer, Kyle Gibson and Trevor May. Patience is a virtue, and for the most part, Twins fans have been patient. I'm thinking that patience needs to last one more year as this next core of players starts getting their opportunity.

I recently got my newest issue of Entertainment Weekly. It was the Fall TV preview issue. As I was flipping through the pages to see what shows spark my interest, some of them made me start thinking about the Twins season, and how the Twins have played in September. Yes, I acknowledge that that makes me kind of sad, but you can understand, I’m sure. Below you’ll find some of the TV shows and how they got me thinking about the Minnesota Twins. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It seems everyone has caught on to the Breaking Bad phenomenon. I was late to the game. About two months ago, I was able to pick up Seasons One through Five, and I started watching. I’m now several episodes into Season 4, and trying my best not to read on Twitter what’s going on this season with Walt and Jesse and the gang. For the Twins, things have been Breaking Bad! While the Twins fought to stay afloat until recently, things have not been good since they lost the third game of a series in Houston. They have won just twice in their last 11 games. More recently, they have lost five of their last six, and by a combined score of 52-12. They have been brutal at Target Field and are in serious need of some Home Improvement! The silver lining is that, if the season were to end today, the Twins would pick fifth in the 2014 MLB Draft. It is definitely a Grimm situation for the hometown nine. Reading the comments on sites like Twins Daily, and maybe more importantly, seeing the declining attendance numbers at Target Field tells me that there are a bunch of Mad Men in Twins' fandom these days. It’s certainly A Different World from what we experienced through most of the last decade. Gardy, and the Twins announcers, often speak about sending out The A-Team to face teams in playoff contention, but it is hard to find an A-Team right now, especially with Joe Mauer out of the lineup. Of course, after three straight horrific seasons by the Twins, some fans are looking for a Revolution. That’s not exactly how the Twins tend to work. They are an organization that strongly believes in building from within, both on the field and in the front office. All in the Family, one might say. There will be change. However, most likely, there will be little change in the front office. Then, you’ve got people like me who are Raising Hope by touting the strong Twins' farm system. However, caution must always follow optimism, especially when it comes to minor league prospects. As good and as much hype as prospects get, there is always a chance they don’t become what you think they can become. They don’t always continue to develop as you think they will. One perfect example of this Arrested Development is last night’s starter, Liam Hendriks. Last night, the Australian right-hander was unable to get out of the first inning against the White Sox. Hendriks was a guy who flew through that Twins farm system. I ranked him as high as #3 in my Twins prospect rankings. Why? He was tremendous in the minor leagues. He pitched well in Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2010. He pitched very well in New Britain and Rochester in 2011. In fact, he got a September call up that season out of necessity. But it was more than that. Reports on Hendriks were that he had a fastball that hit 92 mph with movement. That he had a very good changeup and a good curveball. At times in his 30 starts with the Twins, he has shown all of those things. Let’s not forget the game he lost 1-0 to Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. The talent is there. The pitches are there. For some reason, it just has not come together. I guess you could say that Rick Anderson is the X-Factor when it comes to Twins pitchers. He often gets blamed when pitchers don’t become what we think that they should become. He gets roasted when a young pitcher struggles with the Twins and then succeeds when he goes elsewhere, even though that could just as easily be a byproduct of more experience, maturity and other variables. But how much did Anderson have to work with in 2013? He certainly did help Sam Deduno and over his years he has as many, if not more, successes than failures. Hendriks is one of several players on the Twins roster they will need to determine if they will Love It or List It? It will be another interesting offseason for the Twins, and there are some 40 man roster decisions that will not be easy. Who will come off of the 40 man roster? Hendriks joins a list of possibilities that includes (but not limited to) Andrew Albers, Cole De Vries, BJ Hermsen, Shairon Martis, Eric Fryer, Doug Bernier, Chris Colabello, Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas. They will also have to determine if they will offer arbitration to the likes of Brian Duensing, Josh Roenicke, Anthony Swarzak and Trevor Plouffe. Some of that will be determined by their thoughts on the most interesting Person of Interest in the organization, Miguel Sano. Will the Twins brass be willing to let him be the Opening Day third baseman in 2014? Should they? But he is certainly not the only person whose development will factor into 2014 planning. Many may want an Extreme Makeover, but consider how many high-level prospects the team needs to open spaces for in 2014. Consider the following: Aaron Hicks – He was given the right to compete for the Opening Day centerfield job in 2013, and he won that spring training contest in the most recent example of why spring training numbers mean nothing. He struggled in his time with the Twins and was allowed to struggle beyond anything I’ve seen before. When he was finally sent down to Rochester, he lost time due to three separate injuries. He did not receive a September call up and says he will not play winter ball in Puerto Rico. What is his status going into 2014? One thing for certain is that Twins fans should not give up on him. Though Byron Buxton is near, Hicks can still be a long-term fixture in the Twins outfield. Trevor Plouffe – He has really struggled at third base at times, and his offense has been quite inconsistent. Miguel Sano is very close, and reports indicate that his defense is better than Plouffe’s at the hot corner already. What do they do with Plouffe? Can he become a Super Utility player who plays all over? Eddie Rosario – Like Sano, Rosario has been a fast mover in the Twins system. He started in Ft. Myers and then hit well in New Britain. He won’t be ready for Opening Day, but do not be surprised if he is with the Twins by mid-season. Will it be at second base, or has Brian Dozier cemented himself there? Rosario certainly could be an outfielder as well. Alex Meyer – This might be the biggest piece to the puzzle. He missed nearly three months of the 2013 season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, he was throwing 100 mph with a nasty curveball. He is the Ace that the Twins and their fans have been looking for, if he continues to develop and improve. He too could be up by June. Trevor May – 2014 will be his final option season. After a solid, but unspectacular second season in AA, May needs to show something in 2014 if he wants to remain a starter, otherwise, he’ll go to the bullpen, where he can still be a valuable pitcher. Josmil Pinto – Can Pinto be an everyday catcher? Can he hit, and can he field/throw enough for the team to feel comfortable moving Joe Mauer to another position at least half the time. He certainly has made a strong first impression with his September performance. Chris Herrmann has shown his value is his versatility, with his ability to play the corner outfield spots well and be solid behind the plate. Michael Tonkin – He was tremendous in the minor leagues until he got his first promotion to the Twins. Since that time, he has really struggled. He may be gassed, but he’ll have to show something to put himself into position to be on the Twins opening day roster next season. No question, however, he will be up with the team at some point in 2014. Byron Buxton – He is the best prospect in baseball, and he can do it all. He should start the 2014 season in New Britain, and as I’ve been saying since I saw him in Cedar Rapids in April, he could be with the Twins by July (yes, of 2014). He is that good. He will come to big league spring training, not necessarily to win a starting job, but he can make an strong impression. It won’t be long. Imagine a Twins outfield in September that includes Aaron Hicks, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario. That group could cover the vast, Green Acres of Target Field’s outfield. Oswaldo Arcia can spell them and be the primary DH. Miguel Sano at third base with Joe Mauer getting a lot of time at first base. Trevor Plouffe can spell Mauer at 1B when he catches. Josmil Pinto can be behind the plate half the time as well. Brian Dozier has certainly bought himself some time at second base with a strong glove and enough bat to be excited about. Pedro Florimon’s glove is so good that his bat could be better hidden if the rest of the lineup hits. Alex Meyer and Trevor May should be in the rotation by that time, and who knows who else will step up and contribute. This September has been and likely will continue to be tough to watch over the final 13 games. If you follow me on Twitter, you noticed that I spent a lot of time watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 during the Twins game. I’m not proud of that, though it is an excellent movie!! Cheers to those of you who made it through the entire game (something you may not be proud of?)! At this point in the 2014 season, in the final month, it should be a very interesting time to be watching the Twins of the future play. At that point, we could live in our own Fantasy Island and dream of Happy Days. Good Times!

Earlier in the week, we announced the Harmon Killebrew Award winners, and my choice for Minnesota Twins Minor league Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Today, it’s time to point out the hitters that performed very well in the Twins minor league system. There were quite a few terrific performances through the Twins system! The most encouraging is that most of the top prospects performed at a new,higher level. But there is no question that two players shined incredibly brightly.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Actually, three players did, but one got promoted to the Twins for a couple months and that likely cost him this award. But, The Two. The Big Two. Byron Buxton. Miguel Sano. They both came through with monster seasons in 2013. I promise. I will pick one of them as the Twins minor league hitter of the year and not just go with co-winners. I’ll pick one… And then I’ll most likely say, “If you want to argue for the other one, I won’t disagree at all.” This should create some debate, to be sure. This ‘award’ is called the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. It’s not the Twins minor league player of the year. So, the primary focus should be on their bats. If it was a player of the year award, it would kind of be a Miguel Cabrera/Mike Trout type of situation. Which do you pick, and why? But, let’s work our way down the Top 8, and before that, another six players who warrant honorable mention. Honorable Mention: Deibinson Romero – Rochester Red Wings (.275/.374/.448 (.822), 17-2B, 1-3B, 13-HR, 56-RBI), Kennys Vargas – Ft. Myers Miracle (.267/.344/.468 (.813), 33-2B, 1-3B, 19-HR, 93-RBI), Reynaldo Rodriguez – New Britain Rock Cats (.231/.305/.482 (.787), 33-2B, 4-3B, 21-HR, 57-RBI), Travis Harrison – Cedar Rapids Kernels (.253/.366/.416 (.782), 28-2B, 0-3B, 15-HR, 59-RBI), Antoan Richardson – New Britain/Rochester (.285/.402/.371 (.773), 20-2B, 8-3B, 0-HR, 43-RBI, 39-SB), JD Williams – Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers (.265/.372/.403 (.775), 17-2B, 6-3B, 9-HR, 58-RBI, 26-SB) Hitter of the Year Nominees There were a lot more good batters up for Hitter of the Year consideration, or at least honorable mention, than there were pitchers for Pitcher of the Year #8 – Jorge Polanco – Cedar Rapids Kernels (143-465) - .308/.362/.452 (.813), with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 5 HR, 78 RBI, 4 SB) The Twins signed Polanco out of the Dominican Republic in 2009. He was tiny as a 16-year-old, but he had a great glove. Since then, he has grown and become much stronger. After two seasons of very pedestrian numbers in the GCL, he hit over .300 in Elizabethton in 2012. Was it a result of the small ballparks of the Appy League? Well, in his first at bat of the 2013 season in Cedar Rapids, he homered, and he hit well most of the rest of the season. He was the Kernels #3 hitter for most of the year. He has moved to second base, though many say that he will continue to get some time at shortstop. #7 – Eddie Rosario – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (150-496) - .302/.350/.460 (.810), with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 10 HR, 73 RBI, 10 SB) It was a terrific year for Eddie Rosario. He played great in the Puerto Rico Winter League, well enough to be named to the Puerto Rican WBC team. He had a strong showing with the Twins in big league camp. He began the season in Ft. Myers where he hit .329/.377/.527. Once the Miracle clinched the first half title, he was promoted to AA New Britain. His numbers weren’t quite as good, .284/.330/.412, but when you factor in that he is just 21 years old, it was an incredible season. His progress at second base was impressive to those who saw him play. The Twins drafted Rosario in the 4th round out of high school in Puerto Rico in 2010. He does not yet need to be added to the 40 man roster, but he is certain to get an invite to big league camp. #6 – Adam Walker – Cedar Rapids Kernels (141-508) - .278/.319/.526 (.844), with 31 doubles, seven triples, 27 HR, 109 RBI, 10 SB) Walker was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. Like yesterday’s relief pitcher of the year, Tyler Jones, Walker is a product of Milwaukee. After signing with the Twins, he hit 14 homers for Elizabethton last year. This year, he led the Midwest League with 27 home runs and 109 RBI. He added a couple of huge home runs in the playoffs as well. Walker has as much power as anyone in the Twins farm system, but he is also a terrific athlete. He did a nice job in right field. He is also a very good base stealer. He was 10-10 this year and has not been caught on a stolen base attempt since high school. Walker strikes out, but the bigger concern is that he just doesn’t take many walks and control the zone. Without some adjustments, he will struggle as he advances. Fortunately, he is still just 21 years old and has plenty of time to keep developing. #5 – Dalton Hicks – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (145-502) - .289/.358/.468 (.826), with 39 doubles, 0 triples, 17 HR, 110 RBI, 0 SB) Hicks was the Twins 17th round pick a year ago out of Central Florida. Like Walker, he signed quickly and Hicks came up big for the E-Twins in the playoffs. You’ll recall, he hit the walk-off grand slam in Game 3 of the Appy League championship series. He began this season with the Kernels where he hit .297 (.850) with 31 doubles and 13 home runs before being promoted to the Miracle in mid-July. He ended up leading the organization and all minor league baseball with 100 RBI. The first baseman is a big man with a long, strong swing and great power. #4 – Josmil Pinto – New Britain Rock Cats / Rochester Red Wings (141-456) - .309/.400/.482 (.882), with 32 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 0 SB) To say that Josmil Pinto has put together a nice start to his big league career could be deemed an understatement. He has shown in just a couple weeks many of the traits that have made him an interesting prospect over the past couple seasons. He is a line drive hitter with power. He also has very good strike zone judgment and puts the ball in play. Behind the plate, he has looked better than I expected and shown a very strong arm. During his minor league season, primarily in New Britain, he hit for average, took a lot of walks and had lots of extra base hits. He has made himself a serious prospect with a big future. #3 – Chris Colabello – Rochester Red Wings (119-338) - .352/.427/.639 (1.066), with 25 doubles, 0 triples, 24 HR, 76 RBI, 2 SB) Like Andrew Albers, the Colabello story has been incredible. After all those years in independent ball, he got a chance with the Twins. He had a solid 2012 season in New Britain. He got off to an incredible start the first two months of the season and earned his first major league promotion. He went back and forth between the Red Wings and the Twins several times. Although he has struggled with the Twins to some degree, he has absolutely raked in AAA. Despite missing some time, he was named the International League’s Rookie of the Year and MVP. A very aggressive hitter, he got on base most of the games he played. He was an extra base machine. Also, like Albers, if CC had been promoted to the Twins (which would have been a modern-day tragedy), he may have been the clear choice for this award. #2 – Byron Buxton – Cedar Rapids Kernels (163-488) - .334/.424/.520 (944), with 19 doubles, 18 triples, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 55 SB) On Wednesday, Baseball America named Buxton the Minor League Player of the Year. And he deserved it! So, why didn’t I pick him as the Twins minor league hitter of the year? Well, that can be found in the next profile. Buxton had an incredible season. The 19 year old started the season in Cedar Rapids, and the expectation was that he would spend the full season there. In 68 games, he hit .341/.431/.559 (.990) with 15 doubles, ten triples and eight home runs. Three games after he played in the Midwest League All Star game, he was promoted to the Miracle. He continued to hit well. In 57 Florida State League games, he hit .326/.415/.472 (.887) with four doubles, eight triples and four home runs. What’s not to like about Buxton?! In addition to hitting for average, he has some good power (which could develop further in coming years). He has amazing speed. I went to the Kernels first three games this year. I saw him beat out normal ground balls to third base, shortstop and second base. And, those triples. He had 18 of them! Most hitters would have had 16 doubles and two triples on those hits. He also stole 55 bases, although he was also caught 19 times, so that is an area he can improve upon. He is patient at the plate, and like Joe Mauer, he can be successful with two strikes. Buxton’s speed also makes him a tremendous outfielder with great range. He also has one of the strongest throwing arms in the system. Listen, if this was the Twins Minor League Player of the Year, I likely would select Byron Buxton. When I do my Twins top prospect rankings, Byron Buxton will be Number One. In fact, when Baseball America (and probably all such publications) puts out their overall prospect rankings before the 2014 season, Buxton will be the #1 prospect in the game (as he was at the midway point of this season). I watched Mike Trout play two games in Beloit (for Cedar Rapids) in 2010. At the time, I had never seen a better prospect. He stood head and shoulders above all of the other players on the field. The Cedar Rapids Kernels roster was full of very good prospects, and Byron Buxton stood head and shoulders above the others. Buxton is an incredible prospect, and if you want me to throw out an ETA for Buxton’s MLB debut, I’ll say late July of 2014. He’s that good. Hitter of the Year – Miguel Sano – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (125-439) - .280/.382/.610 (.992), with 30 doubles, 5 triples, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 11 SB) It is almost the Miguel Cabrera vs. Mike Trout debate that we heard in 2012. Mike Trout was the better all-around player and WAR certainly showed that. However, Miguel Cabrera was clearly the best hitter in baseball. As I pointed out above, Byron Buxton is in the Mike Trout category. Miguel Sano? He is in the Miguel Cabrera category. Don’t get me wrong, Sano has a long way to go to get to that level, but if you want a perfect, all-goes-right-for-the-Twins-and-us-fans scenario, he could become Miguel Cabrera. He has the power. No question about that. At Ft. Myers, he hit .330/.424/.655 (1.079) with 15 homers and 16 home runs in just 56 games with the big league ballpark dimensions. Like Rosario, he was promoted to New Britain the day after the Miracle clinched the first half title. He hit just .236, but he got on base at a .344 clip. And then the power! He hit 15 doubles, three triples and 19 home runs in just 67 games. Sure, he is going to strikeout quite a bit, and it is something he will need to continue to work on. However, he struck out 144 times in 553 plate appearances in Beloit in 2012. Between Ft. Myers and New Britain this year, he struck out 142 times in 519 plate appearances. A slight increase while playing at two higher levels. He also continues to get a better sense of the strike zone and is more willing to walk. Despite better pitchers with better breaking pitches, he walked at nearly the same rate. Again, if defense is part of this, Sano would fall to #2 on the list. That said, reports on his defense were that he was much improved. That’s saying something because when I watched him in Beloit early in the 2012 season at third base, it was awful. When I saw him play four more games in August last year, he was pretty solid. If that kind of improvement continues, he can be average or slightly better than average at the position. His arm? Well above average, even for a third baseman. Miguel Sano is my choice for Twins minor league hitter of the year. Let’s just take a look at how the numbers stack up: [TABLE] [/TD][TD]H-AB BA/OBP/SLG (OPS) 2B/3B/HR/RBI SB/SBA BB/K/PA Miguel Sano 125-439 .280/.382/.610 (.992) 30/5/35/103 11/15 65/142/519 Byron Buxton 163-488 .334/424/520 (.944) 19/18/12/77 55/74 76/105/574 [/TABLE] Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Do you like power or do you like speed? For me, I can’t get past Sano’s power. He had an IsoP (SLG – BA) of .330 (compared to Buxton’s 0.186). His IsoD (OBP – BA) was 0.102 to Buxton’s .090. So there you have it. There were some really terrific offensively performances by Twins minor leaguers in 2012. Now let the debate begin. As a Twins fan, it’s tremendous to see two elite prospects put up numbers and draw national attention. Players become prospects because of tools, and elite tools. But when the minor league prospects backs up the tools with this kind of production, it’s pretty special, and it’s very exciting for Twins fans! Feel free to discuss.

Minnesota Twins minor league awards week continues today by looking at the top relief pitchers in the system (be sure to look back at the Harmon Killebrew Award winners and my choice for minor league starting pitcher of the year). It’s an interesting category, especially for someone like me who typically will not rank relief pitchers as high as starters, but who fully understands the importance of a strong bullpen to a team. A look at last year’s Top 6 minor league reliever shows how much of a mixed bag this can be.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Number 6 was Anthony Slama. Number 5 was Luis Perdomo. Number 4 was Bruce Pugh. All three of them were released before the end of the 2013 season. Number 3 was Caleb Thielbar who pitched very well last year and came up to the Twins this year and pitched very well. Number 2 was Michael Tonkin who was remarkable the first 60% of the season, but he really struggled in Rochester after his first (of now three) promotions to the Twins. He certainly has the upside to be a long-time back of the bullpen arm. AJ Achter was my Choice for the award last year after he pitched well in Beloit and Ft. Myers. This year, he pitched well (though not top six) at both New Britain and Rochester and will be pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Again, these awards are not a prospect list. It is about the numbers, regardless of age or level of competition. Feel free to debate them, or ask any questions you may have. Relief Pitcher of the Year #6 – David Hurlbut – Cedar Rapids Kernels / Ft. Myers Miracle (4-2, 6 saves, 2.82 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 70.1 IP, 65 H, 13 BB, 64 K) Hurlbut was the Twins’ 16th round pick in 2011 out of Cal State-Fullerton. He has pitched in several different roles in his three seasons in the organization. In fact, last year, he was one of the top five starting pitchers in the organization. He began 2013 back in the Midwest League, pitching out of the bullpen. Though he was fully capable and frequently worked two or three innings at a time (important with a six-man rotation). He also ended up being the team’s closer after Tyler Jones was promoted to Ft. Myers. Late in the season, Hurlbut was promoted to Ft. Myers where he made seven starts and was able to keep his ERA and base runners allowed down. The left-hander was able to strike out 8.2 per nine innings while walking just 1.7 per nine. #5 – Cole Johnson – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (3-3, 5 saves, 3.10 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 61.0 IP, 48 H, 20 BB, 68 K) Johnson is probably one of the least recognize Twins minor leaguers who was really good in 2013. The Notre Dame product, who was drafted in the 44th round of the 2011 draft. In 2012, he started the season at extended spring training, and joined Beloit for the second half. He pitched well in relief and ended up starting for the Snappers in the playoffs. He started 2013 in Ft. Myers and was tremendous. He had some struggles in his adjustment to AA New Britain but quickly proved he had earned the spot. It’s strange to see his 10.0 K/9 rate. Frankly, he is basically performing at a similar level and is on a similar path as last year’s choice for minor league reliever of the year, AJ Achter, who was also drafted in a round that no longer exists. #4 – Tim Atherton – Cedar Rapids Kernels (8-5, 1 save, 2.54 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 95.2 IP, 76 H, 33 BB, 102 K) Atherton spent two-thirds of the Kernels in the Kernels bullpen before ending the season by making 11 starts for the team. He also was going to be the Game 3 starter for them in the playoffs. Atherton has a herky-jerky delivery that can be quite deceptive. That helped him to 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings over 95+ innings. The right-handed Australian originally signed with the Twins as an infielder in 2008, but he was let go for disciplinary reasons. He came back to the organization as a pitcher in 2011, so he’s still developing his pitches. #3 – Zach Jones – Ft. Myers Miracle (4-3, 14 saves, 1.85 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 28 H, 28 BB, 70 K) Jones was the Twins 4th round pick in 2012 out of San Jose State. He hit and pitched in college, but an upper-90s fastball pushed him to the mound as a pro. After signing, he pitched in Elizabethton and Beloit. He spent the entire 2013 season in Ft. Myers. Just look at those strikeouts: that equates to 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Also notice that he gave up just 5.2 hits per nine innings. The reason he stayed in Ft. Myers all season is because he also walked 5.2 per nine innings. Jones often hit 100 mph during the season’s first half. In the second half, he generally sat between 94 and 96 mph. He will gain some more experience by pitching for the Twins in the Arizona Fall League next month. #2 – Edgar Ibarra – New Britain Rock Cats / Rochester Red Wings (3-2, 2 saves, 1.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 60.2 IP, 41 H, 29 BB, 54 K) Ibarra signed with the Twins in 2006. Last offseason, he had the opportunity to become a six-year minor league free agent. However, he (and Josmil Pinto and Deibinson Romero) signed back with the Twins on the first day of free agency. It was good for the Twins and for Ibarra. He started the season with the New Britain Rock Cats and finished the season with the Rochester Red Wings. The left-hander had a run of 32 consecutive scoreless innings. His only flaw is an excessive number of walks. He posted a 1.91 ERA in AA and a 1.96 ERA in AAA. In general, he was terrific all year. Again, he can become a minor league free agent following this season. I can’t help but wonder if the Twins will add the 24 year old to the 40 man roster. If not, will he be willing to stay in the organization for another year? Relief Pitcher of the Year – Tyler Jones – Cedar Rapids Kernels / Ft. Myers Miracle (5-6, 13 saves, 2.58 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 52.1 IP, 37 H, 20 BB, 66 K) Tyler Jones was the Twins 11th round pick in 2011 out of LSU. He was a successful high school athlete in Milwaukee and helped win a national title at Madison Junior College before heading south for a year with LSU. He began the 2012 season in extended spring training before moving up to the Beloit starting rotation in May. He was fairly mediocre as a starter. Earlier this spring, he acknowledged to me that he had not put in the work the previous offseason. Last offseason, he put in the work and lost over 30 pounds. He was moved to the bullpen and he dominated. His 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings were second only to Zach Jones. He also slightly improved his walk rate. Compared to others on this list, he allowed the fewest base runners per inning. He did miss three weeks in May with a sore elbow, but he came back strong. He was promoted to Ft. Myers where he took over primary closer duties and with the exception of one game in which he gave up four runs, he pitched very well all season. Having seen him finish off games with his 96 mph fastball was quite impressive, and seeing his much-improved slider gives me hope that he might surface in a Twins uniform within the next couple of years. This was a tough list to rank, and there was no clear-cut winner in this group. There were a lot of very solid relief pitching performances throughout the organization. So, what do you think? Would you go with Tyler Jones, who struck out a bunch without walking an excessive number and allowed the fewest base runners? Would you pick Edgar Ibarra who had that tremendous streak and was very good all season, but he didn’t strike out as many and walked more (too many?)? Would you consider Zach Jones who tied with Michael Tonkin for most saves in the organization this year and led the organization with 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings? Or, would you go with a guy like Atherton who made 11 starts and was still able to strikeout more than a batter per inning? The choice is up to you. I went with Tyler Jones. Post your thoughts and your rankings below. We’ll be back tomorrow with the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year.

Yesterday, we discussed the Minnesota Twins minor leaguers who were named the recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Awards for Community Service. Today, we continue our minor league award week by looking at the top starting pitchers in the Twins farm system in 2013. First, be sure to note that this is about 2013 performance. This is not a prospect ranking of any kind. In 2013, there were several very good starting pitchers in the Twins system. Several of the top prospects put up solid numbers, but will not be on this list.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Alex Meyer was pretty impressive in his New Britain starts, but he missed about two-and-a-half months. Trevor May was solid at times, but lacked consistency. Most of the names on this lists were not high-level prospects coming into the season. However, they each pitched well and deserve to be recognized. Their performances, in some cases, may also boost their prospect standing this offseason. To be clear, this is just my ranking, subject to debate. This list does include some starters with very good control this season. Unfortunately, as has been consistent in recent years, there are not many big strikeout numbers on this list, nor throughout the Twins farm system (exceptions really being Meyer and May). Later in the week, we’ll look at my choices for top reliever, hitter and manager. Today we discuss the top starting pitchers in the Twins minor league system. Feel free to debate them, or ask any questions: Starting Pitcher of the Year Honorable Mention: Mason Melotakis, Cedar Rapids (11-4, 3.16 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 6.8 K/9), Logan Darnell, New Britain/Rochester (10-10, 3.22 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 7.0 K/9), Tyler Duffey, Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers (7-7, 3.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9, 6.8 K/9), DJ Baxendale, Ft. Myers/New Britain (12-7, 3.90 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 6.7 K/9) #5 – Matt Summers – Ft. Myers Miracle, New Britain Rock Cats (7-7, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 142.2 IP, 125 H, 46 BB, 100 K) Summers was the Twins 4th round pick in 2011 out of UC-Irvine. Like most other college pitchers, he went to Elizabethton and dominated out of the bullpen. He went 9-4 in 18 starts in Beloit before finishing the season in Ft. Myers. In 2013, he made 21 starts for the Miracle and led the Florida State League starters in ERA (2.47) and WHIP (1.11). He had a couple short stints with the New Britain Rock Cats where he made five starts (and one relief appearance). He was the Game 1 starter for the Miracle in the playoffs. Of those on this top five list, his 142.2 innings is the most. Summers throws a fastball that hits 94, and he has a good curveball too. To this point, however, he has not been a strikeout pitcher. Like others on this list, he walks very few. At just 24, he should spend 2014 in New Britain. #4 – Kyle Gibson – Rochester Red Wings (7-5, 2.92 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 101.2 IP, 85 H, 33 BB, 87 K) Kyle Gibson was certainly the most talked about through most of the 2013 season. Having missed most of the 2012 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, there were plenty of questions on what would happen with the former first round pick. Could he make the Twins roster out of spring training? What would his innings limit be? How much time would he make in the minors before coming up? Early in the season, the Twins discussed the lack of consistency for Gibson’s first ten starts. It was true. He was tremendous in his even-numbered starts and really bad in the odd-numbered starts. At that point, he took the advice and found a way to be more consistent. On June 29, he made his major league debut. He went 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA in 51 innings, but he got the big league experience. He will learn from it. The 25-year-old has always had very good control and command of his pitches, and I would expect it to show more in 2014. #3 – Brett Lee – Cedar Rapids Kernels (8-4, 2.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 116 IP, 117 H, 26 BB, 89 K) When the Twins drafted Lee with their 10th round pick in the 2011 draft, it was the third time he had been selected in the draft. He signed on the last day that he could, so he did not pitch that year. Last year, he pitched primarily out of the Elizabethton bullpen. He went 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA over 43.2 innings. He walked just 12 and struck out 48. He began the 2013 season in the Cedar Rapids, six-man rotation, though he worked out of the bullpen a couple of times early due to weather. At one point in late June and early July, he worked eight or more innings in three out of four outings. He actually was shut down for two weeks, and his innings were monitored closely so he could pitch Game 1 for the Kernels in the playoffs. The left-hander has four good pitches including a fastball in the low-90s. He will advance to Ft. Myers to start the 2014 season, and it will be interesting to see if he starts or if he’ll see more time working out of the bullpen. #2 – Andrew Albers – Rochester Red Wings (11-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 132.1 IP, 124 H, 32 BB, 116 K) The Andrew Albers story was incredible in 2011 when he was my choice for minor league relief pitcher of the year after the Twins signed him out of the Can-Am League and he pitched well in Ft. Myers and New Britain. The minor league portion of his story culminated in early August when he had his contract purchased and he made his major league debut. Adding to the mystique, Albers began his big league career with 18 scoreless innings. He has now made seven starts for the Twins and is 2-2 with a 3.35 ERA and has given up less than a base runner per inning. Albers began the season at the back end of the Rochester Red Wings starting rotation. The 27-year-old was clearly the team’s best, and most consistent starter throughout the season. Despite a fastball that tops out well below 90 mph, he led the International League in strikeouts when he was promoted to the Twins. As we have seen, he has impeccable control and needs it. A very strong case could be made for him being in the top spot in this category. Starting Pitcher of the Year – Taylor Rogers – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle (11-7, 2.88 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 140.2 IP, 133 H, 36 BB, 93 K) Photo by Linwood Ferguson/Ft. Myers Miracle Taylor Rogers began the 2013 season as the Opening Day starter for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Twins had made the left-hander their 11th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky, the same school that produced Logan Darnell and Andrew Albers, fellow left-handers in the Twins' system. He began his pro career with Elizabethton where he made six appearances before moving up to Beloit where he pitched five times out of the bullpen and made four starts. Combined, he worked 63.1 innings and posted a 2.27 ERA and struck out 10.5 per nine innings. With the Kernels, he pitched in just three games and posted a 7.80 ERA in ten innings. This year he was promoted to Ft. Myers in late April, and things couldn’t have gone much better for him than they did. With the Miracle, he went 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He led the league with three complete games and two shutouts. When the season ended, and the Miracle were in the playoffs, Rogers started Game 2. He threw nine shutout innings in the game. Unfortunately, the Miracle didn’t score and their season ended. Rogers has a very nice pitch mix. He throws a fastball that hits 91-92 mph, touching 93 on occasion. He has a terrific slider that really helps him against left-handers. He also has a changeup that can be very good at times. He should start the 2014 campaign in the New Britain Rock Cats rotation. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with more Twins minor league awards. Feel free to discuss.

This week, I will be posting several articles handing out some Minnesota Twins minor league awards. When Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew announced that his health was deteriorating and he was entering hospice care, fans around the country, and especially in the Midwest, chimed in to tell tales of Killebrew. Amazingly, very of those few stories had anything to do with what occurred on a baseball field. Most of these stories involved something he had told a kid, shaking hands [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]with fans, his impeccable autograph, or some charitable event that he came to and inspired masses. People talked about how great he was as a person. His baseball prowess was hardly mentioned. His 573 home runs. His 1,584 RBI. His MVP. His six AL home run championships. His 11 All Star appearances. Those are all part of the story, but the stories people told were of Harmon Killebrew, the great human being. The Minnesota Twins developed the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service, and this year, the Twins named one winner for each of their full-season affiliates. Each affiliate’s GM nominated a recipient who exemplifies Killebrew through their work in the community. Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil said, “In partnership with our minor league affiliates, we encourage our players to be active in their community and emphasize the importance of having a positive impact in society beyond the playing field. In the minor leagues, our players take part in all kinds of activities, including school reading programs, hospital visits, working with disabled youth, and youth baseball clinics. These experiences help our players understand responsibility, compassion, and giving back. Ultimately it helps them mature and grow as people.” The four 2013 Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service recipients were: Rochester Red Wings – Brian Dinkelman New Britain Rock Cats – Dan Rohlfing Ft. Myers Miracle – Stephen Wickens Cedar Rapids Kernels – Niko Goodrum ROCHESTER RED WINGS – Brian Dinkelman Brian Dinkelman was honored to be presented with this award. “I’m honored to be connected with (Killebrew) in this manner. To be considered a person similar to him off the field is very rewarding.” Dinkelman talked about some of the activities he enjoyed most. “I loved camps with kids to teach them about the game. But anytime being around people who want your autograph and appreciate you is exciting.” Red Wings GM Dan Mason had glowing comments when speaking about Dinkelman. “Brian has played for us for four seasons and has truly been an ideal player on and off the field for us. On the field, he’s willing to play anywhere and play well. He accepts wherever Gene (Glynn) puts him in the lineup. And he’s a PHENOMENAL teammate. A true clubhouse leader. During the Twins Era of the Wings he ranks second in hits, doubles and games played (Garrett Jones is the leader for all three of those categories). Off the field we couldn’t ask for a better representative of the Red Wings, Twins and the game of baseball. He’s great interacting with fans of all ages be it here at the park or at a school or some other appearance.” The award is especially important for the Red Wings because, as Mason continued, their “formal corporate name is “Rochester Community Baseball” and has been since Morrie Silver began a stock drive to save the team in 1956. We are community owned, and when Mr. Silver ran the stock drive, he sold shares to 8,222 different fans and businesses in our area. Because “Community” is literally our middle name, it is vital that we give back to the people who have supported us for generations. It is imperative that we are more than just a baseball team in our town, but rather a civic icon.” The team and the front office get very involved with numerous not-for-profit organizations around the city. Many of their promotions throughout the season are geared toward raising funds for area organizations. With the help of the players, they are able to weave the Red Wings into the fabric of their community. Mason continued to speak the praises of Dinkelman. “Brian Dinkelman epitomizes the same values that Harmon illustrated. “Dink” is first class in the way he treats EVERYONE. Be it a fan, a front office employee or one of the guys that cleans the stadium or works in our concessions stands. He has been a great role model for the children whose lives he has touched over the last four years here in Rochester and has endeared himself to all our fans with his outgoing and warm personality. He has a great understanding of the kind of impact he can have on somebody because he plays for the Red Wings/Twins and he embraces that responsibility. He is a truly perfect recipient for an award named after Mr. Killebrew.” Mason continued, “There are SO many great guys in this organization. Brian’s character is impeccable. We really appreciate the way he’s represented our organization and city the last four years.” NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS – Dan Rohlfing The New Britain Rock Cats recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award was Dan Rohlfing. He worked at several camps throughout the season. Rohlfing said, “I've worked three or four different camps including two special needs camps, which are my favorite camps to do. Also, I made a trip to the children's hospital to visit some sick kids and try to put a smile on their faces.” Though young, Rohlfing truly grasps what Harmon Killebrews means to Twins fans and how that carries into the community. “It means a lot to me to win the Harmon Killebrew award. To win an award based on your character is special to me. Being a baseball player is great, but I like to pride myself on being a good person too, and I think this award shows that. We all know what a legend and great person Harmon was, so to be associated with him and to win an award is his name is something I'm very proud of.” FORT MYERS MIRACLE – Stephen Wickens In Ft. Myers, the recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service is Stephen Wickens. The Miracle infielder played all over the diamond in 2013. A Canadian, Wickens played four years at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers. So, he was familiar with the area and has been very active in the community even before this season. When Wickens learned he had been selected the Harmon Killebrew Award recipient, he fully understood what an honor it was. “I see it as a great honor to be selected for this award because Harmon Killebrew is ingrained in Minnesota Twins history. He was such a historic player and one of the best hitters of all time, and like you said, he may be known for his baseball accomplishments. He is very well known for what he did off the field. Harmon was a killer on the field and a gentleman off of it, and I think that’s how the Twins organization wants their players to be. To be even considered for this award was a great honor and I'm happy to be selected for it. The award may have been given to me but there are multiple people who deserve this award as well.” Recently Wickens said, “Since I had the opportunity to go to school in Fort Myers, I have had the privilege to work with multiple organizations when it comes to community service. In the past, I have also worked with the Salvation Army, doing their Christmas "Toys for Tots", where we would separate donated toys for children. I did various beach and nature clean ups in the Fort Myers area. Various baseball camps for my university, and surrounding high schools. Also, I was able to work for "Race for the Cure" where I was able to hand out the roses for the survivors that finished the race. I also did a reading at a local school in Fort Myers, took pictures and played games with the children.” He continued, “This past season with the Fort Myers Miracle I did several baseball camps for the team. The coolest one being the Special Needs Baseball Camp. It was a real unique experience being able to work with those children, and seeing their love for the game. Things like that remind you to play the game for fun, and don’t take things so seriously all the time.” CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS – Niko Goodrum The Harmon Killebrew Award selection for the Cedar Rapids Kernels was their shortstop, Niko Goodrum. He was nominated by the team’s GM, Doug Nelson, who had very good things to say about Goodrum, his Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Twins organization. “Niko went on a number of community appearances for us. He was always one of the first players to volunteer and sign-up for these appearances. He participated in all of the community events involving the team (baseball clinic, post-game autograph sessions, bowling outing and golf outing). Niko was a positive influence in the clubhouse encouraging his teammates to support of community efforts. The entire team has been a pleasure to work with this season. They have supported all of our community efforts and have been excellent ambassadors for the game of baseball and the Twins organization.” Goodrum was busy with activities in Cedar Rapids, but he takes his off-field work seriously all year long. “In Cedar Rapids, I've done a kids camp at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Tony Oliva Breakfast, and hangout with adults and children with disabilities. My favorite one was seeing a kid off for his Make-a-Wish Foundation trip. The list goes on for things in Cedar Rapids. In Georgia, every year I do camps in the off season, and during Christmas, I pick a family in need and give them money and presents. It feels great giving back because I know if I were in their situation it would feel amazing to know someone is thinking about you. ” According to Nelson, the Kernels have many programs all around the community. “Supporting the community is one of the Kernels main objectives. We feel that if we are actively involved in the community, then the community will support our team.” The Kernels staff and players frequently visit local schools and encourage the kids to read. In fact, they have a program in which kids get prizes for reading for 250 minutes. If they reach 1,000 minutes, they get to go to a Kernels game to be recognized. At fifteen Kernels games through the season, they held silent auctions and jersey auctions that raised money for various local charities. After the games, winning bidders were able to meet the player whose jersey they bought and collect the jersey from him. At the stadium, the Kernels held many community events. They held walks, movie nights, pancake breakfasts, baseball clinics and many more events to raise awareness for the non-profit’s mission and serve as fundraisers for the organizations. The Kernels players and staff, including Mr. Shucks, make over 100 community appearances to hospitals, baseball clinics, non-profit events, school events, day cares, and many more places, giving of their time. Goodrum’s response to being given the award? “To be honest an award was just icing on the cake. I don't do it for awards. I do it because that's how I was raised and that's just the person I am. I'm honored that the Twins saw fit that I deserved it.” MEETING HARMON Killebrew made his way to spring training and to the affiliates from time to time and made an impact on those he met. Dan Mason said, “I have had the great fortune of meeting Mr. Killebrew on a few separate occasions when he came here to do appearances for us. You couldn’t find a classier gentleman if you tried.” Dan Rohlfing spoke of meeting Killebrew in the spring. “I have been fortunate enough to meet Harmon. The first couple years of spring training, he would come down and talk to all the minor leaguers. Not only about baseball but about life in general. He was very humble and easy to talk to and gave everyone, regardless of status, the same courtesy. It's easy to see why they have the name of this award in his honor.” Stephen Wickens met Killebrew in a place you may not have expected. “I did have the opportunity to meet him. I played in the Northwoods League for two seasons when I was in college. I played for the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers. It was in 2009 and he was our guest speaker at our luncheon that we put on for the beginning of the season. He also threw out the first pitch of our Opening Day game. It was a very cool experience because, being from Canada, I did not know much history on Harmon Killebrew. I grew up hearing stories about Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor etc... but seeing the passion all of these people had for him was amazing. He was up on the podium giving his speech, and I remember looking around and seeing all of the locals just hanging on to every word he said. He was very well spoken and told some funny stories, but I also remember there was probably about 200+ people lined up for autographs, and he signed every one and shook every person’s hand and talked to each person like he knew them personally. It was amazing, considering he probably had this treatment for more than 40 years. So to still be so humble about everything was amazing.” Goodrum’s time around Killebrew was brief but memorable. “I met Harmon Killebrew at 2011 Spring Training. I wasn't able to have a conversation with him, but just being able to shake his hand was all I needed.” Brian Dinkelman met Killebrew that same spring training. “I was amazed by what a true gentleman he was, and how he carried himself. And, to think a man of his size hit that many home runs!” Congratulations to all four award winners. They have given of themselves to help people in their communities over the course of the season. All are very deserving to win an award named after one of baseball’s best power hitters and one of its best ambassadors. Brad Steil summed it up nicely, “I think it was well known that Harmon was a very giving and compassionate person. Giving back to the community was something he encouraged our players to do, whenever he had the opportunity to address them. This award recognizes those minor leaguers who stand out at their affiliate for serving their community in the same spirit that Harmon did throughout, and after, his career.”

The Red Wings had not been to the playoffs since 2006. This afternoon in Pawtucket, their season ended with a Game 5 loss in the International League playoffs. Pawtucket scored three runs on four, two-out hits in the second inning, and that was about it for the offense. Virgil Vasquez got the start in Game 5 as there was not a day off in the series. He threw a shutout inning before getting the first two batters of the second inning out. He went three innings and gave up the three runs on four hits. He didn't walk anyone and struck out three. Logan Darnell came on and threw 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. He walked none and struck out two. Shairon Martis got the final four outs. The offense did very little, and they did not come up with a big hit in the 6th inning. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger was still in the game after five shutout innings. However, the top of the order came up. Antoan Richardson singled. James Beresford was hit by a pitch. Eduardo Escobar had an infield single to load the bases with nobody out. Haeger was able to strike out Jeff Clement before he was replaced by Chris Martin. Chris Parmelee came off the bench to pinch hit for Deibinson Romero, and he struck out. Aaron Hicks flew out to center to end the inning. After scoring nine runs on Saturday, the Red Wings managed just four hits on Sunday afternoon. Box Score Following the game, the Twins recalled Michael Tonkin, Chris Parmelee, Cole De Vries, Scott Diamond and Eduardo Escobar. In some surprise, they also will add RHP Shairon Martis and catcher Eric Fryer to the 40 man roster for September. Martis has big league time with the Pirates and Nationals. Fryer played a handful of games with Pittsburgh last year. To make room for Martis and Fryer, the Twins announced that Wilkin Ramirez and Sam Deduno have been moved to the 60 Day Disabled List. photo by milb.com

On Sunday, the Minnesota Twins announced their Florida Instructional League roster. The Florida Instructional League is designed for younger players in the organization to get some extra time and instruction in the Twins' system. There are several 2013 draft picks on this roster, but there are also a lot of players who will be there because they missed time during the season with injury. Some are just there to get some work in before heading to the Arizona Fall League. There are games, but it is really about getting into the finer points of the game, and for those 2013 draftees, a little preview of what will happen next spring when they report for spring training. Here is a look at the Twins roster in Florida: The Pitchers: Jose (JO) Berrios, Brandon Bixler, Madison Boer, Hudson Boyd, Ryan Eades, Brian Gilbert, Stephen Gonsalves, Chih-Wei Hu, CK Irby, Felix Jorge, Yorman Landa, Austin Malinowski, Mason Melotakis, Alex Meyer, Ethan Mildren, Brandon Peterson, Fernando Romero, Randy Rosario, Aaron Slegers, Kohl Stewart, Tyler Stirewalt, Miguel Sulburan, Lewis Thorpe, Alex Wimmers Thoughts: There are some very exciting prospects on this list. The 2013 top pitching draft picks will be there. There is reason for optimism with Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves, and even Ryan Eades despite unimpressive numbers at Elizabethton. Miguel Sulburan may be invited, in part, to get to know more people in the organization. Randy Rosario ended the Elizabethton season in the DL with some shoulder discomfort, but he is fine and will join fellow E-Twins starters Yorman Landa and Felix Jorge. Alex Meyer will get more work in even before the AFL after missing so much time during the season. The Catchers: Jorge Fernandez, Mitch Garver, Brian Navarreto, Michael Quesada, Alex Swim, Stuart Turner. Thoughts: Jorge Fernandez and Brian Navarreto were both impressive in the GCL. Turner and Garver were top college catchers who got off to a good start in Elizabethton. Quesada completed his 50-game suspension before spending the final months with the Kernels. The Infielders: Niko Goodrum, Travis Harrison, Dalton Hicks, Aderlin Mejia, Levi Michael, Amaurys Minier, Javier Pimentel, Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas, Engelb Vielma, Ryan Walker. Thoughts: This is a little older group of prospects, but they are guys with something to work on. I would say that, particularly with infielders, any extra mechanical work will be beneficial. They will work on the hitting side of the game, but I would venture that defense will be a primary focus for this group. That said, there is some serious upside in this group. The Outfielders: Zach Granite, Zach Larson, Jeremias Pineda, Dereck Rodriguez, Adam Walker, JD Williams. Thoughts: Walker and Williams had very solid seasons, but both have some work to do defensively, and even offensively. Rodriguez has so much talent, but he keeps getting hurt, so this is an opportunity for him to get more work in. Larson was a late-round pick last year who put together a very nice 2013. There is the list of players. Although box scores and any information are difficult to get out of Ft. Myers during the instructional league, it is a good opportunity for these young players.

This much can be said. When the Rochester Red Wings have been in absolute need of a win, the bats have come through in big style. It has also helped to have Scott Diamond making those starts. That was again the case on Saturday night in Pawtucket. As you recall, on Labor Day, the final day of the regular season, the Red Wings needed to win and get a loss from Norfolk. Durham helped the Twins by beating the Tide in extra innings. The Red Wings scored nine first inning runs and beat Scranton/Wilkes Barre 13-3 behind a quality start from Diamond. On Friday, the Paw Sox topped the Red Wings to take a 2-1 series lead in this best of five series. That meant that the Red Wings were in a must-win situation in Game 4, and they would send Diamond to the mound. How did it go... See below! (or look at the title of this article) Diamond came through with seven shutout innings for the Red Wings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out eight batters in the game. He had been 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA in the regular season with the Red Wings. After a scoreless eighth inning, AJ Achter gave up a run on two walks and a hit in the ninth for a final 9-1 score. The offense came up big again in a big game, and they were able to coast somewhat after a big fifth inning to break open the game and give them an 8-0 lead. The Anatomy of the Big Inning The Red Wings were up just 2-0 going into the fifth inning against Red Sox first-round pick Matt Barnes. Ray Olmedo and Eric Fryer led off with back-to-back singles. Following a wild pitch, Antoan Richardson walked to load the bases and end Barnes' night. In came Alex Wilson to face James Beresford. He got a ground ball back to himself, but a throwing error scored a run and kept the bases loaded. Eduardo Escobar singled to score one more run. With the bases loaded, Jeff Clement drove in two with an opposite field double. Deibinson Romero singled to score Escobar. An Aaron Hicks double scored one more. Wilson got a strikeout for the inning's first out, but his night was done. Jose de La Torres came on and got the final two outs. All nine Red Wings starters had at least one hit in the game. Clement led the way. He went 3-5 with two doubles and drove in three runs. Deibinson Romero was 3-4 with a walk and a double. Eric Farris was the only other hitter with two hits. On- base machine Antoan Richardson was back in the leadoff spot and went 1-3 with two walks. With the Jacoby Ellsbury foot issues, the Red Sox called up outfielder Jackie Bradley, Jr., following Game 3. What's Next? Game 5 will be played on Sunday afternoon at 12:05 (central time). According to play-by-play man Josh Whetzel, the Red Wings will likely send Virgil Vasquez to the mound opposite knuckleballer Charlie Haeger.

After the Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels lost their playoff series in recent days, this Minor League Report is now basically just a Rochester Red Wings Report. It will be that way for at least one more day. The Red Wings lost 5-1 on Friday night in Pawtucket to fall behind 2-1 in the best of five series against the Red Sox affiliate. After seeing top prospect Anthony Ranaudo in Game 1 and Clay Buchholz in Game 2, the Red Wings faced knuckleballer Steven Wright in Game 3. The Red Wings got plenty of offense. They had nine hits in the game and walked five times, but unfortunately were not able to come up with a big hit and scored just one. Ray Olmedo went 2-4 with a double and drove in the lone run of the night for Rochester. Aaron Hicks was also 2-4 and had a double. Eric Farris was 2-3. James Beresford continued his hot hitting. He was 2-4 with a walk. Chris Parmelee walked twice, but went 0-3 with three strikeouts. Lefty Pat Dan made the start for the Red Wings. In five innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned). He allowed eight hits, walked one and struck one out. Then Trevor May came in to make his AAA debut, and according to Josh Whetzel, his first relief appearance since the 2010 season. In his first inning, he pitched a scoreless inning despite two errors behind him. In three total innings, he gave up one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out three. What's Next? The Red Wings and Paw Sox will play Game 4 in Pawtucket on Saturday night. Scott Diamond will oppose Matt Barnes. Diamond went 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA with the Red Wings. Matt Barnes made 24 starts for the Red Sox AA affiliate in Portland before ending his season with one start with Pawtucket. On the season, he is 48 walks and 142 strikeouts in 113.1 innings pitched. The Red Wings must win to force a Game 5 and continue their season.

On Wednesday night, the Ft. Myers Miracle were swept out of the Florida State League playoffs by Charlotte. On Thursday night, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the best team in the Midwest League in 2013, lost to the Quad Cities River Bandits for the second straight night to end their season. Such is the randomness of a best of three playoff series after a 140 game season. Rochester also lost on Pawtucket on Thursday night. The loss evened the series at a game a piece. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]That turns a best of five series into a best of three series. Unfortunately, after playing the first two games at home, the Red Wings will now head to Rhode Island for the rest of the series. Rochester Red Wings 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 7 Box Score The game started with two scoreless innings. However, Pawtucket got to PJ Walters for two runs in the third inning. That was followed by three unearned runs in the fourth inning. Logan Darnell came in and got the final out of the fourth inning, and then in the fifth inning gave up two unearned runs, though the error was his own. Walters was charged with the five runs (2 earned) in 3.2 innings. He gave up six hits, walked three and struck out two. Darnell gave up the two unearned runs on two hits in 2.1 innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out four. Edgar Ibarra came on and gave up just one hit over two shutout innings. Shairon Martis struck out one in a 1-2-3 inning. Offensively, the Red Wings did little. They did score two runs off rehabbing starter Clay Buchholz. In fact, they had four hits and walked twice against the Red Sox starter. Unfortunately that was about it. They managed just three more hits the rest of the game. The Red Wings had seven hits in the game. Ray Olmedo had three of, and Eduardo Escobar had two more. What's Next? Lefty Pat Dean will take the mound in Pawtucket on Friday night opposite Steven Wright in Game 3. Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Quad Cities River Bandits 4 Box Score Four batters into this game, things could not have been going any better for the Kernels. Right-hander Tim Shibuya struck out the side in the top of the 1st inning. Then, Jonathan Murphy led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a solo home run. It was all downhill from there, and the Kernels' season ended with an 88-52 record after being swept by the River Bandits. Photo by SD Buhr Shibuya went the first six innings, but he was chanrged with four runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out five. Mason Melotakis came on and threw two scoreless innings. Brian Gilbert threw a perfect ninth. Unfortunately, the Kernels were able to muster only four hits. Murphy's home run was one. The Kernels also had three doubles, one each by Michael Gonzales, Joel Licon and Jorge Polanco. Polanco scored the second run on a ground out by Max Kepler. The game wasn't without controversy. With a runner on in the 4th inning, Adam Walker blasted a ball down the left field line. The ball was called foul, though onlookers (including SD Buhr) are convinced the ball was well fair. A two-run homer in this two-run game proved pretty large! For at least two more days, we will have a Minor League Report. As long as the Rochester Red Wings are in the playoffs, we'll continue to post updates. When they're done, a lot of minor league coverage will be set into motion, so be sure to continue checking out Twins Daily for much more Twins minor league coverage throughout the offseason.