Seth Stohs

Despite being the Twins 1st round pick in the 2006 draft out of his school, it took until September of 2011 for his to become a household name among many Twins fans. After five seasons in the minor leagues, Parmelee was promoted directly from Double-A New Britain when the Rock Cats season ended just short of a playoff berth. Parmelee had put together a very strong second half for the Rock Cats, but no one could have imagined how well he played in September. He played nearly every day, 21 games in all, and hit .355/.443/.592 with six doubles, four homers and 14 RBI. In 88 plate appearances, he walked twice and struckout 13 times. Parmelee gives us a glimpse into why minor league numbers and statistics are secondary to player development. All players drafted high, especially in the first round, are there because they have immense tools. How quickly can they turn those tools into skills? There is not one ‘right’ answer to that questions. Some players are able to come up to the big leagues within the first couple of years. Most players take five or six years to get to the big leagues. STAGE 1 – The Adam Dunn Stage Like most high school players drafted, Parmelee went to the Gulf Coast League. He performed well, hitting .279/.369/.532 (.901) with seven doubles, four triples, eight homers and 32 RBI in 45 games. He was rewarded by spending 11 games in Beloit where he hit .227 but posted a .370 On Base Percentage. He spent the 2007 season in Beloit where he hit just .239/.313/.414 (.727) with 23 doubles, five triples and 14 home runs. He returned to the Snappers for the 2008 season. Unfortunately, he only played about half of the games as the previous year due to injury, but he was better. He hit .239/.385/.496 (.881) with 10 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs and 49 RBI. In those two seasons in Beloit, he walked 98 times and struckout 210 times in 790 plate appearances. In 2009, he went to Ft. Myers and hit .258/.359/.441 (.881) with 27 doubles, 16 homers and 73 RBI. In 501 plate appearances, he walked 65 times and struck out 109 times. In this stage, there was hope that the bulky Parmelee could turn into an Adam Dunn-type player. He did not hit for average, but he took a great number of walks and showed some good power for that early stage of his career. Of course, Adam Dunn would be a great thing. Most minor leaguers who strikeout that much in those lower levels don’t work their way up to the big leagues unless they’re able to cut those numbers. STAGE 2 – The Transition After playing in the Arizona Fall League after the season, Parmelee figured out that he would need to lose some weight, and by the time he came to Twins Fest, he looked like a different person. Chris Parmelee began the 2010 season with the New Britain Rock Cats, but he really struggled. Pitchers were taking advantage of him. He wasn’t walking and was striking out a lot. Because of that, the power wasn’t there either. Less than six weeks into the season, he was sent back to Ft. Myers, and that is where something clicked. In just 22 games, he hit .338/.430/.463 (.893) with five extra base hits. He also walked 13 times and struckout 11 times. He returned to New Britain as a different hitter. Overall, he hit .275/.341/.389 (.731) with 25 doubles, two triples and six home runs. In 463 plate appearances, he walked just 43 times and struck out just 70 times. In 2011, he hit .287/.366/.436 (.801) with 30 doubles, five triples, 13 home runs and 83 RBI for New Britain. He walked 68 times and struckout 94 times in 610 plate appearances. The strategy appears to be focusing on one thing and then hoping the other things come back. In other words, Parmelee had shown an ability to take walks and hit for some home run power. However, he also struck out a ton. To make him a better all-around hitter, they encouraged him to be a little more aggressive, use the whole field and make better contact. STAGE 3 – It All Comes Together The best case scenario is putting the stages back together. Now that he can hit for average and keep the strikeouts down, could he get back to getting on with a lot of walks and bring back the power? As we know, Parmelee put together a great showing in September. He was terrific in spring training and earned an Opening Day roster spot. Although he has struggled in limited playing time with the Twins over a couple of stints, he has continued to show power. In 49 games in Rochester, he has hit .354/.470/.691 (1.161) with 15 doubles and 15 home runs. As important, he has 38 walks to go with just 34 strikeouts in 217 plate appearances. Parmelee awaits another opportunity to play with the Twins. It will likely happen in the very near future. You can look through his minor league track record and make a lot about of those early years, but he is no longer that same player. Parmelee, in a way, took a step backwards to take eight steps forward. He may be one of those examples where he might outperform his minor league numbers. We don’t know, but we shall find out. Soon. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2033[/ATTACH]

Just an FYI - Bromberg was sent down to New Britain today. Rule 5 qualifications for this postseason... Players signed who were less than 19 years old when they signed in 2008, OR Players signed who were 19 years old or older when they signed in 2009. I dont' think that Slama will be added. He's been made available several times (via Rule 5 draft or when he was taken off 40 man roster last fall) and no one has claimed him. He still has another year of Twins control. Of course, I believe Slama should be added to the 40 man roster for September, so the question would be whether or not they would keep him on it after the season.

He'd likely be put on the 60 Day Disabled List as soon as they could in the season. A team will sign him to a contract knowing that he likely wouldn't be able to pitch in a big league game until at least June 1. Based on the Kyle Gibson TJ recovery timeline, Baker should be ready to pitch in May, but a team would be wise to see how spring training goes and determine a plan for rehab appearances. Other option is to sign him to a minor league contract with an opt-out date of like July 1. But, that's unlikely. HE'll get a MLB contract.

Good first look at this... Just a few notes: Burton isn't a free agent at the end of the year. He has one more year of arbitration. But the story is the same, in my opinion, you bring him back. I'd like to see Manship get some starts the rest of the way, probably taking Duensing's spot and pushing him back to the bullpen. Manship did well for Rochester as a starter, and I'd like to see him get 6-7 starts at the end of the season. (I'd also like to see Hendriks come up after Rochester's season is done and push Blackburn to the bullpen for the rest of the season.) As for Guerra, I tend to agree with you, and yet, the Twins need to decide if they're going to contend next year or not. If they're looking to 2014, then there's no harm in keeping him around and giving him April and May to make an impression. I still believe in Rene Tosoni despite this being immensely disappointing, but I tend to agree with you on that one too, but for a different reason. Arcia's on the 40 man, and Hicks needs to be added after the season. You have them adding Hicks, Gibson and Bromberg. I"m a big Bromberg guy, but I'd be shocked if he was added again at this time. Here are some other names that have to be considered for adding to the 40 man: Chris Herrmann (given), BJ Hermsen (probable), Dakota Watts and Bruce Pugh (I'd think at least one of them), Danny Santana (pure SS with a little pop, I think he's added). Adrian Salcedo would have been if not for a lost, injury-filled season. What about Michael Tonkin? Deibinson Romero could be a minor league free agent, and he's had a good year. Could he be added again? Where does Anthony Slama fit in? How about Caleb Thielbar? Because of all of those, I wouldn't be surprised if there are quite a few players dropped from the current 40 man (including Deduno and De Vries, maybe?) and hopefully Blackburn. Good discussion!

In my fourth annual Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, which became available in January, I posted my Top 30 Twins Prospect list as well as my annual rankings back five or six years. I enjoy looking at those lists for a couple of reasons. First, it is humbling. No one will likely ever produce a top 10 list that is 100% accurate. Second, it’s a fun reminder of some of the names from the past that didn’t stick around or make it. Third, it’s just fun to review to see what I have learned since then. Today, I would like to take a look at my top 20 Twins prospects from before the season started and provide a quick update on how they’re doing. Some will move up, others will (or have) moved down. In parentheses, you will see where I ranked that player when I did an updated ranking before the June draft. In the comments, please feel free to discuss, but also feel free to post your updated Top 10 list as of now. --- #1 (1) – Miguel Sano – 19 years old – 3B In Beloit, he is hitting .259/.380/.521 (.902) with 24 doubles, 4 triples, 24 homers and 90 RBI. He has stolen seven bases. He has also committed 40 errors. #2 (2) – Eddie Rosario – 20 years old – 2B Also in Beloit, Rosario missed just over a month of games after being hit in the mouth by a line drive in batting practice, but he’s back and hitting again. He is hitting .301/.359/.480 (.839) with 24 doubles, three triples, eight homers and 54 RBI. He has committed just 12 errors at second base, and is also playing about a game a week in centerfield. #3 (5) – Oswaldo Arcia – 21 years old – RF It’s been a great year for the Venezuelan outfielder. After a slow start in Ft. Myers, he took off. He played in the FSL All Star game and then hit a double off of Jameson Taillon in the Futures Game. He was promoted to AA New Britain in mid-June and he has been even better. Overall, he’s hitting .319/.390/.534 (.924) with 31 doubles, five triples 14 home runs and 78 RBI. He has six errors defensively, but he also has 15 outfield assists. #4 (4) – Aaron Hicks – 22 years old – CF Hicks has seemingly turned a corner since his strong showing in the AFL last year. In AA this year, he has taken off. He is hitting .281/.381/.456 with 19 doubles, seven triples, 12 home runs and 55 RBI. He’s also stolen 27 bases and has ten outfield assists while showing great range and a very strong arm. #5 (7) – Joe Benson – 24 year old – OF It’s been a disappointing season for Benson since a nice showing in spring training. He began the season in Rochester where he really struggled before being sent back to New Britain. He then had to have surgery on his hamate bone and missed 5-6 weeks. He has returned and is back at New Britain, but the struggles continue. Overall this season, Benson is hitting .209/.294/.350 (.644) with 13 doubles, three triples and six home runs. He’s also 13/17 in steal attempts. He remains one of the best defensive outfielders in the organization. #6 (3) – Liam Hendriks – 23 years old – RHP Hendriks made the Opening Day roster but was sent down later in the first month. He got another opportunity in June that went miserably as well. However, in Rochester, he has been terrific. He is a 9-2 with a 1.99 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. In 99.1 innings, he has given up just 69 hits, walked 25 and struckout 76. He will get another shot soon. #7 (6) – Kyle Gibson – 24 years old – RHP Hearing reports that Gibson is throwing just as hard, if not harder, than he did before his September Tommy John surgery is certainly encouraging. He has remained on schedule and tonight will make his first start of the year for the Ft. Myers Miracle. In a month’s worth of rehab games in the GCL, Gibson was 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. In 14.2 innings, he gave up nine hits, walked four and struck out 14. Of course, the numbers are far less important than the process. #8 (13) – Adrian Salcedo – 21 years old – RHP The lanky right-hander struggled in the early season. He was 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Unlike his previous seasons, he struggled with control, issuing more walks than ever. Something wasn’t right. He was put on the DL with elbow concerns early in the year. He came back and struggled more, and then he was put on the DL with shoulder issues. #9 (12) – Alex Wimmers – 23 years old – RHP After all of his control issues early last season, he ended the year with a no-hitter for the Miracle. He had a solid spring and was sent to New Britain to start the season. He made his first start and hasn’t pitched since. After a couple of months rehabbing, he had Tommy John surgery. #10 (N/A) – Chris Parmelee – 24 years old – 1B Like Hendriks, Parmelee made the Opening Day roster. He struggled some, but when Justin Morneau started playing more 1B, he also didn’t play. He has gone to Rochester and been back up one other time. In Rochester, he is currently hitting .354/.469/.691 (1.161) with 14 doubles, 15 homers and 41 RBI. He has 37 walks to go with 33 strikeouts. Like Hendriks, he should be up again very soon. #11 (8) – Brian Dozier – 25 years old – SS In 84 Games with Twins, he’s hitting .234/.271/.332 (.603) with 11 doubles, a triple, six homers, 32 RBI and nine stolen bases. #12 (9) – Travis Harrison – 19 years old – 3B He’s hitting .310/.394/.444 (.838) with ten doubles, two triples, three homers and 18 RBI. He has 20 errors in 45 games. #13 (25) – Tom Stuifbergen – 23 years old – RHP He’s 4-6 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. In 53.1 innings, he’s given up 78 hits, 10 walks and 30 strikeouts. #14 (24) – Angel Morales – 22 years old – OF He’s hitting .207/.288/.310 (.597) with seven doubles, four triples, six homers and 28 RBI. #15 (11) – Chris Herrmann – 24 years old – C/LF Hitting .270/.343/.391 with 22 doubles, a triple, 9 homers and 50 RBI. He’s caught in 70 games and played LF in 26 others. #16 (36) – Manuel Soliman – 23 years old – RHP He made two starts for Ft. Myers before his season came to an end due to surgery on his labrum. #17 (15) – Levi Michael – 21 years old – SS/2B Michael was horrible in the first half and has been at least solid in the second half. He’s hitting .238/.333/.303 (.636) with 10 doubles, four triples, two homers and 33 RBI. #18 (27) – Max Kepler – 19 years old – OF Fair to say he’ll move way up this list after this season. He’s hitting .298/.399/.536 (.935) with 11 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 40 RBI for Elizabethton. He played solely in CF until Byron Buxton got to E-Town. Now Kepler is playing in the corners. #19 (16) – Niko Goodrum – 20 years old – SS/3B Like Kepler, Niko returned to E-Town, but the success (in terms of batting average) has not been there. He’s hitting .247/.367/.425 (.792) with ten doubles, six triples, three homers and 34 RBI. He’s got 13 errors between the two positions. #20 (10) – Hudson Boyd – 19 years old – RHP Boyd jumped to E-Town for his pro debut this year. He’s just 2-5, but his ERA is just 2.40. Half of the 24 runs he’s allowed this year have been unearned. He is posting a 1.40 WHIP. In 45 innings, he given up 47 hits, walked 16 and struck out 29. #21 (14) – BJ Hermsen – 22 year old – RHP After four starts in Ft. Myers (1-0, 0.78 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), Hermsen moved up to AA New Britain where he was an All Star. With the Rock Cats, he’s 10-5 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. #22 (18) – Danny Santana – 21 years old – SS With the Miracle, he’s hitting .283/.324/.397 (.721) with 18 doubles, eight triples, five homers and 47 RBI. He has 16 stolen bases. He has 16 errors in 67 games at SS, and another 8 errors in 32 games at 2B. --- There you have it. A look at my preseason Top 20, err… Top 22 Twins prospects. What do you think? What’s your updated Top Ten? [ATTACH=CONFIG]2019[/ATTACH]

The beauty of baseball is many-fold. On any given night. You just never know. Teams need stars to play well over the course of a season to be successful. But on any given night, anyone can step up when you least expect it and help you to a win. On Monday night, Samuel Deduno was wild as ever, but he somehow managed to pitch into the 8th inning and gave the Twins offense an opportunity to work without being behind. Darin Mastroianni was in the lineup as Denard Span and his shoulder are day-to-day. He came through with a solo home run that gave the Twins a 2-1 lead. Later, he had a big two-run single that broke the game open. It was Ryan Doumit who put it out of reach when he blasted a three-run homer, his 13th of the year. It was a quiet night in the Twins farm system. New Britain, Ft. Myers and Eizabethton had scheduled nights off. The GCL Twins were rained out. There was some thunder in Beloit, but fortunately it was off the bats of two of their big boppers. And the Red Wings game came right down to the last at bat, an at bat by the guy that the Red Wings would want in that position. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Monday night: ROCHESTER 3, LEHIGH VALLEY 5 The Red Wings got the tying run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. It was just who Red Wings players and fans would want, Chris Parmelee, one of minor league baseball’s hottest hitters. Unfortunately on this occasion, Parmelee took a called third strike to end the game. Shairon Martis started for the Red Wings and gave up five runs over the first six innings. He gave up eight hits and a walk. Kyle Waldrop came in and gave up one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings. The Red Wings managed just six hits on this night. Clete Thomas provided two RBI doubles. Pedro Florimon drove in the other run with a single scoring Eduardo Escobar. NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS The Rock Cats players enjoyed their final off day of the season. FT. MYERS MIRACLE The Miracle also had a day off. BELOIT 3, PEORIA 2 Leading off the bottom of the second, Miguel Sano hit his 24th home run of the season. It also gave him 90 RBI. The next batter, Kennys Vargas, connected for his 9th home run in just his 21st game to give the Snappers a 2-0 lead. That is how the score remained through seven innings. Lefty Matt Tomshaw started for the Snappers and threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked none and struckout four. Mason Melotakis came in for the 8th inning and promptly gave up two runs (1 earned) which tied the game. In the bottom of the 8th, things started out well. Nate Roberts singled and there was an error when Wang-Wei Lin attempted a sacrifice bunt. With runners on first and second, Eddie Rosario flew out to center. Nate Roberts tried to tag up and advance to third base, but he was thrown out. With two outs, Miguel Sano singled, advancing Lin to 3B. Peoria chose to intentionally walk Kennys Vargas to pitch to Drew Leachman. Leachman worked a walk to give the Snappers a 3-2 lead. DJ Baxendale came on in the 9th and despite allowing one hit, he pitched a scoreless inning for his first Snappers save. Melotakis gets the “Win” to improve to 3-1 on the season. ELIZABETHTON TWINS Elizabethton was not scheduled to play either. GCL TWINS The GCL Twins were rained out on Monday. --- Players of the Day for Monday, August 13, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sano [ATTACH=CONFIG]2013[/ATTACH] Photo by Seth Pitcher of the Day – Matthew Tomshaw [ATTACH=CONFIG]2014[/ATTACH] Photo by Jim Crikket --- A Look Ahead – Tuesday, August 14, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Indianapolis – RHP PJ Walters New Britain vs Richmond – LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers @ Jupiter – RHP Kyle Gibson Beloit – No Game Scheduled Elizabethton @ Bluefield – LHP Brett Lee GCL Twins vs GCL Orioles – TBD --- 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!

Well, Desmond Jennings didn’t get a double on the first pitch in Sunday’s game as he had Friday and Saturday nights. However, on a 1-2 pitch, he hit a home run off of Scott Diamond. Diamond threw yet another Quality Start, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and the Twins lost 6-3 thanks to a late rally by the Rays. In the minor leagues, there is a lot going on. Monday will be the final off day for New Britain. Not big news by itself, but it does mean that the seasons are wrapping up quickly. The Rock Cats find themselves fighting for a playoff spot. If the season ended today, they would have the final Eastern League playoff position. The Beloit Snappers earned their playoff berth in the first half, and they are putting together a strong roster. Elizabethton is again a force in the Appalachian League. It will be fun to watch these final weeks. If you missed it on Sunday, I posted the current Minor League Hitting Leaders and Pitching Leaders in many categories. Check those out. There were many more terrific performances on Sunday. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights: ROCHESTER 10, LEHIGH VALLEY 0 The Red Wings continue to get great performances from a couple of guys who started the season with the Twins and were sent down for more seasoning. In this game, Liam Hendriks started and threw seven shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out four to drop his ERA to 1.99 with the Red Wings. Caleb Thielbar came in and gave up just two hits over the final two innings. He struck out two. Chris Parmelee led the offense in this one. The first baseman went 3-4 with a walk, his 14th double, his 14th and 15th home runs and four RBI. Matt Carson went 2-5 with his 22nd double and 13th home run. Clete Thomas went 2-4 with a walk, his 12th home run and his 10th stolen base. NEW BRITAIN 3, READING 8 The Rock Cats and Reading split their four game set, leaving the Rock Cats ½ game ahead for the final playoff spot with three weeks to go. The Rock Cats fell behind early. They were down 4-0 heading into the 7th inning stretch, but over the next two innings, they pulled back to within one, 4-3. Unfortunately, they allowed four runs in the top of the 9th and fell 8-3. Steve Hirschfeld started and gave up four runs (3 earned) on eight hits over five innings. He falls to 7-7. Aaron Thompson came in and gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. Jose Gonzalez struckout one in his inning. Dakota Watts came in for the 9th frame and gave up four runs (2 earned) on two hits and a walk. Dan Rohlfing led the offense. He went 3-4 with his 12th double. Deibinson Romero went 2-4. Chris Colabello was 1-2 with two walks. Oswaldo Arcia went 1-3 with a walk and his 15th double. FT. MYERS, ST. LUCIE Carl Pavano was supposed to start, and Kyle Gibson was supposed to come in second for the Miracle. Unfortunately, the game was postponed due to rain. BELOIT 6, PEORIA 5 Kennys Vargas drilled a three-run home run in the first, and the Snappers hung on for a one-run lead. Vargas led the way on this day. The burly first baseman went 2-3, was hit by a pitch, hit his fourth double and the homer was his eighth. Steven Wickens went 2-3 with a walk. Nate Roberts had a walk, his 12th double and stole his 20th base. Tyler Jones got the start and struggled through 3.2 innings. He gave up four runs on four hits and six walks. Corey Kimes came in and gave up just one run on three hits over the next 3.1 innings. Cole Johnson returned from the DL and worked a scoreless eighth frame. Corey Williams picked up his 16th save with a scoreless ninth. It was a short day for 3B Miguel Sano. After walking in the first inning, he was called out on strikes in the third. A brief glance turned into his first ejection of the year. The Snappers wore special “Tuxedo” uniforms as seen below. (Thank you to Rinaldi Photos for the below picture of infielder Steven Wickens in his tuxedo uniform!) [ATTACH=CONFIG]2003[/ATTACH] ELIZABETHTON 3, BRISTOL 1 The E-Twins are known for having a big offense, but on this day, it was an all-around great game for the team. There was some offense. Niko Goodrum was 3-5. Adam Walker was 3-5 with his first stolen base. Max Kepler was 2-5. Those were the team’s 2, 3 and 4 hitters. The other six hitters combined to go 2-22 in the game. There was some good pitching as well. Hein Robb, a young lefty from South Africa, started and gave up just one hit in five scoreless innings. He walked none and struck out five. Josh Burris improved to 6-0. He gave up no runs and no hits, but he walked two and struck out two. Andrew Ferreira walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning. JT Chargois pitched the final two innings to record his third save. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks. He struck out five. GCL TWINS There are no games scheduled in the GCL on Sundays. --- Players of the Day for Sunday, August 12, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Chris Parmelee [ATTACH=CONFIG]2002[/ATTACH] Pitcher of the Day – Liam Hendriks [ATTACH=CONFIG]2001[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Monday, August 13, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Lehigh Valley – RHP Shairon Martis New Britain – No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers – No Game Scheduled Beloit vs Peoria - LHP Matt Tomshaw Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles – TBD --- 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!

Earlier today, I posted the Twins Minor League Leader Board for the hitters. Now comes the leader board among Twins minor league pitchers. Pitchers are more difficult to compare against each other. Comparing starting pitchers with relievers is really difficult. So, what I've done is set two limits for many of these categories. I used a 40 inning limit, and then I used an 80 innings limit. There have been a couple of starters who have pitched well and consistently in the minors this year. There have been a handful of relievers that have put up very good numbers. Here is a look at the pitching leaders in the Twins minor league system (through games played on Saturday, August 11): Games Pitched: #1 - Caleb Thielbar 42 #2 - Ricky Bowen 41 #3 - Corey Williams 40 #4 - Bruce Pugh 39 #4 - Bobby Lanigan 39 #4 - Daniel Turpen 39 #7 - Michael Tonkin 38 #8 - Luis Perdomo 37 #9 - Clinton Dempster 36 #9 - Matt Hauser 36 Games Started: #1 - Pat Dean 24 #2 - Matt Summers 23 #2 - Jason Wheeler 23 #2 - Steve Hirschfeld 23 #2 - Logan Darnell 23 #6 - Madison Boer 22 #6 - BJ Hermsen 22 #8 - Luke French 19 #9 - Steven Gruver 17 #10 - Tim Shibuya 15 Wins: #1 - Jason Wheeler 13-5 #2 - BJ Hermsen 11-5 #3 - Matt Summers 10-6 #4 - Madison Boer 8-11 #4 - Logan Darnell 8-10 #4 - Liam Hendriks 8-2 #4 - Steve Hirschfeld 8-9 #8 - Pat Dean 7-8 #8 - Esmerling Vasquez 7-5 #10 - 4 tied with 6 Wins Saves: #1 - Corey Williams 15 #2 - Bruce Pugh 11 #2 - Michael Tonkin 11 #4 - Luis Perdomo 9 #4 - Casey Fien 9 #4 - Anthony Slama 9 #7 - Lester Oliveros 8 #8 - Daniel Turpen 7 #9 - Caleb Thielbar 6 #10 - Ricky Bowen 5 Innings Pitched: #1 - BJ Hermsen 139.1 #2 - Pat Dean 135.1 #3 - Matt Summers 131.2 #3 - Jason Wheeler 131.2 #5 - Logan Darnell 128.1 #6 - Steve Hirschfeld 127 #7 - Madison Boer 118.2 #8 - Luke French 104.1 #9 - Steven Gruver 101 #10 - David Hurlbut 94 ERA (min. 40 IP) #1 - AJ Achter 1.79 #2 - Michael Tonkin 1.86 #3 - Caleb Thielbar 2.08 #4 - Bruce Pugh 2.12 #5 - Sam Deduno 2.14 #5 - Liam Hendriks 2.14 #5 - Luis Perdomo 2.14 #8 - Clint Dempster 2.25 #9 - Jeff Manship 2.35 #10 - Angel Mata 2.40 #10 - Hudson Boyd 2.40 ERA (min. 80 IP) #1 - Liam Hendriks 2.14 #2 - David Hurlbut 2.59 #3 - BJ Hermsen 2.71 #4 - Matt Hauser 2.92 #5 - Esmerling Vasquez 3.10 #6 - Jason Wheeler 3.28 #7 - Andrew Albers 3.43 #8 - Matt Summers 3.62 #9 - Steven Gruver 3.74 #10 - Pat Dean 4.12 WHIP (min. 40 IP) #1 - Luis Perdomo 0.949 #2 - Liam Hendriks 0.964 #3 - AJ Achter 0.995 #4 - Lester Oliveros 1.014 #5 - Michael Tonkin 1.032 #6 - Caleb Thielbar 1.046 #7 - Angel Mata 1.089 #8 - Matt Tomshaw 1.108 #9 - BJ Hermsen 1.127 #10 - Esmerling Vasquez 1.131 WHIP (min. 80 IP) #1 - Liam Henriks 0.964 #2 - BJ Hermsen 1.127 #3 - Esmerling Vasquez 1.131 #4 - David Hurlbut 1.202 #5 - Andrew Albers 1.217 #6 - Matt Hauser 1.262 #7 - Jason Wheeler 1.337 #8 - Matt Summers 1.375 #9 - Steven Gruver 1.396 #10 - Pat Dean 1.397 K/9 (min. 40 IP): #1 - Michael Tonkin 12.3 #2 - AJ Achter 10.7 #3 - Taylor Rogers 10.5 #4 - Tyler Jones 10-4 #5 - Sam Deduno 9.9 #6 - Daniel Turpen 9.6 #6 - Nelvin Fuentes 9.6 #6 - Corey Williams 9.6 #6 - Angel Mata 9.6 #10 - Lester Oliveros 9.5 K/9 (min. 80 IP) #1 - Esmerling Vasquez 8.5 #2 - David Hurlbut 7.1 #2 - Matt Hauser 7.1 #4 - Liam Hendriks 7.0 #5 - Andrew Albers 6.9 #6 - Marty Popham 6.8 #7 - Jason Wheeler 6.7 #8 - Steve Hirschfeld 6.0 #9 - Logan Darnell 5.8 #9 - Luke French 5.8 BB/9 (min. 40 IP) #1 - Cole De Vries 1.3 #1 - Andrew Albers 1.3 #3 - BJ Hermsen 1.6 #4 - Tom Stuifbergen 1.7 #5 - PJ Walters 1.8 #5 - Matt Tomshaw 1.8 #5 - Tim Shibuya 1.8 #8 - Pat Dean 1.9 #9 - AJ Achter 2.1 #10 - 4 tied at 2.3 (Gruver, Hirschfeld, Liam Hendriks, O'Rourke) BB/9 (min. 80 IP) #1 - Andrew Albers 1.3 #2 - BJ Hermsen 1.6 #3 - Pat Dean 1.9 #4 - Steven Gruver 2.3 #4 - Steve Hirschfeld 2.3 #4 - Liam Hendriks 2.3 #7 - David Hurlbut 2.4 #8 - Jason Wheeler 2.5 #9 - Logan Darnell 2.7 #10 - Matt Summers 3.1 Complete Games 10 tied with ONE. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1996[/ATTACH]

As we get closer to the end of the minor league seasons, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the leaders in many statistical categories. Throughout the season, Twins Daily has posted daily minor league reports. Within those, some names certainly tend to find their way into the reports more frequently than others. At the same time, there are others who have just been solid throughout the season and may surprise you when you see some of their rankings. There is still another 3-4 weeks, but this could be considered an early look at potential players of the year. Here are the Twins offensive statistical leaders through games played on Saturday, August 11th: Plate Appearances: #1 - Miguel Sano 478 #2 - Chris Herrmann 470 #3 - Aaron Hicks 467 #4 - Evan Bigley 464 #4 - Chris Colabello 464 #4 - Deibinson Romero 464 #7 - Danny Santana 463 #8 - Pedro Florimon 460 #9 - Oswaldo Arcia 438 #10 - Levi Michael 435 Hits: #1 - Oswaldo Arcia 122 #1 - Danny Santana 122 #3 - Chris Colabello 119 #4 - Chris Herrmann 113 #4 - Evan Bigley 113 #6 - Aaron Hicks 110 #7 - Matt Carson 108 #8 - Pedro Florimon 107 #9 - Deibinson Romero 105 #10 - Miguel Sano 100 #10 - Danny Ortiz 100 Doubles: #1 - Chris Colabello 34 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia 30 #3 - Eddie Rosario 27 #4 - Evan Bigley 25 #5 - Miguel Sano 24 #6 - Chris Herrmann 22 #7 - Matt Carson 21 #8 - Danny Ortiz 21 #9 - Aaron Hicks 19 #9 - Pedro Florimon 19 #9 - Dan Rohlfing 19 Triples: #1 - Danny Santana 8 #2 - Aaron Hicks 7 #3 - Niko Goodrum 6 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 5 #4 - Danny Ortiz 5 #6 - 8 tied with 4 Home Runs: #1 - Miguel Sano 23 #2 - Chris Colabello 18 #3 - Deibinson Romero 16 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 14 #4 - Evan Bigley 14 #4 - Wilkin Ramirez 14 #7 - Chris Parmelee 13 #7 - Lance Ray 13 #9 - Aaron Hicks 12 #9 - Adam Walker 12 #9 - Matt Carson 12 Runs Scored: #1 - Aaron Hicks 82 #2 - Chris Herrmann 80 #3 - Chris Colabello 68 #4 - Miguel Sano 62 #5 - Oswaldo Arcia 61 #6 - Danny Santana 59 #7 - Deibinson Romero 57 #7 - Matt Carson 57 #9 - Evan Bigley 51 #10 - Levi Michael 49 RBI: #1 - Miguel Sano 89 #2 - Chris Colabello 87 #3 - Evan Bigley 81 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 78 #5 - Deibinson Romero 66 #6 - Lance Ray 61 #7 - Eddie Rosario 58 #8 - Aaron Hicks 54 #9 - Chris Herrmann 50 #10 - Josmil Pinto 48 Stolen Bases: #1 - Aaron Hicks 27 #2 - Nate Roberts 19 #3 - JD Williams 17 #4 - Danny Santana 16 #4 - Jhon Goncalves 16 #6 - Darin Mastroianni 14 #7 - Joe Benson 13 #7 - Pedro Florimon 13 #9 - John Murphy 12 #10 - Aderlin Mejia 10 Walks: #1 - Miguel Sano 73 #2 - Aaron Hicks 67 #3 - Deibinson Romero 52 #4 - Levi Michael 48 #5 - Chris Herrmann 47 #6 - Jhon Goncalves 45 #7 - Oswaldo Arcia 43 #8 - Wang-Wei Lin 42 #9 - Lance Ray 41 #10 - Angel Morales 36 Strikeouts: #1 - Miguel Sano 128 #2 - Pedro Florimon 111 #3 - Evan Bigley 107 #4 - Angel Morales 103 #5 - JD Williams 100 #6 - Matt Carson 99 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez 96 #7 - Aaron Hicks 96 #9 - Matt Koch 92 #10 - Oswaldo Arcia 87 #10 - Clete Thomas 87 Batting Average (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .319 #2 - Eddie Rosario - .313 #3 - Nate Roberts - .295 #4 - Chris Colabello - .286 #5 - Josmil Pinto - .285 #6 - Danny Santana - .283 #7 - Aaron Hicks - .282 #8 - Matt Carson - .278 #9 - Nate Hanson - .277 #10 - Chris Herrmann - .273 On-Base Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Nate Roberts - .437 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia - .389 #3 - Aaron Hicks - .383 #4 - Miguel Sano - .379 #5 - Eddie Rosario - .368 #6 - Jhon Goncalves - .362 #7 - Deibinson Romero - .358 #8 - Josmil Pinto - .351 #9 - Chris Colabello - .350 #10 - Matt Koch - .348 Slugging Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances) #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .533 #2 - Miguel Sano - .515 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .505 #4 - Chris Colabello - .502 #5 - Aaron Hicks - .459 #6 - Josmil Pinto - .458 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez - .440 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .439 #9 - Matt Carson - .434 #10 - Nate Roberts - .430 #10 - Evan Bigley - .430 OPS (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .922 #2 - Miguel Sano - .894 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .873 #4 - Nate Roberts - .867 #5 - Chris Colabello - .852 #6 - Aaron Hicks - .842 #7 - Josmil Pinto - .809 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .797 #9 - Matt Carson - .775 #10 - Matt Koch - .758 [ATTACH=CONFIG]1994[/ATTACH]

As we get closer to the end of the minor league seasons, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the leaders in many statistical categories. Throughout the season, Twins Daily has posted daily minor league reports. Within those, some names certainly tend to find their way into the reports more frequently than others. At the same time, there are others who have just been solid throughout the season and may surprise you when you see some of their rankings. There is still another 3-4 weeks, but this could be considered an early look at potential players of the year. Here are the Twins offensive statistical leaders through games played on Saturday, August 11th: Plate Appearances: #1 - Miguel Sano 478 #2 - Chris Herrmann 470 #3 - Aaron Hicks 467 #4 - Evan Bigley 464 #4 - Chris Colabello 464 #4 - Deibinson Romero 464 #7 - Danny Santana 463 #8 - Pedro Florimon 460 #9 - Oswaldo Arcia 438 #10 - Levi Michael 435 Hits: #1 - Oswaldo Arcia 122 #1 - Danny Santana 122 #3 - Chris Colabello 119 #4 - Chris Herrmann 113 #4 - Evan Bigley 113 #6 - Aaron Hicks 110 #7 - Matt Carson 108 #8 - Pedro Florimon 107 #9 - Deibinson Romero 105 #10 - Miguel Sano 100 #10 - Danny Ortiz 100 Doubles: #1 - Chris Colabello 34 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia 30 #3 - Eddie Rosario 27 #4 - Evan Bigley 25 #5 - Miguel Sano 24 #6 - Chris Herrmann 22 #7 - Matt Carson 21 #8 - Danny Ortiz 21 #9 - Aaron Hicks 19 #9 - Pedro Florimon 19 #9 - Dan Rohlfing 19 Triples: #1 - Danny Santana 8 #2 - Aaron Hicks 7 #3 - Niko Goodrum 6 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 5 #4 - Danny Ortiz 5 #6 - 8 tied with 4 Home Runs: #1 - Miguel Sano 23 #2 - Chris Colabello 18 #3 - Deibinson Romero 16 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 14 #4 - Evan Bigley 14 #4 - Wilkin Ramirez 14 #7 - Chris Parmelee 13 #7 - Lance Ray 13 #9 - Aaron Hicks 12 #9 - Adam Walker 12 #9 - Matt Carson 12 Runs Scored: #1 - Aaron Hicks 82 #2 - Chris Herrmann 80 #3 - Chris Colabello 68 #4 - Miguel Sano 62 #5 - Oswaldo Arcia 61 #6 - Danny Santana 59 #7 - Deibinson Romero 57 #7 - Matt Carson 57 #9 - Evan Bigley 51 #10 - Levi Michael 49 RBI: #1 - Miguel Sano 89 #2 - Chris Colabello 87 #3 - Evan Bigley 81 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 78 #5 - Deibinson Romero 66 #6 - Lance Ray 61 #7 - Eddie Rosario 58 #8 - Aaron Hicks 54 #9 - Chris Herrmann 50 #10 - Josmil Pinto 48 Stolen Bases: #1 - Aaron Hicks 27 #2 - Nate Roberts 19 #3 - JD Williams 17 #4 - Danny Santana 16 #4 - Jhon Goncalves 16 #6 - Darin Mastroianni 14 #7 - Joe Benson 13 #7 - Pedro Florimon 13 #9 - John Murphy 12 #10 - Aderlin Mejia 10 Walks: #1 - Miguel Sano 73 #2 - Aaron Hicks 67 #3 - Deibinson Romero 52 #4 - Levi Michael 48 #5 - Chris Herrmann 47 #6 - Jhon Goncalves 45 #7 - Oswaldo Arcia 43 #8 - Wang-Wei Lin 42 #9 - Lance Ray 41 #10 - Angel Morales 36 Strikeouts: #1 - Miguel Sano 128 #2 - Pedro Florimon 111 #3 - Evan Bigley 107 #4 - Angel Morales 103 #5 - JD Williams 100 #6 - Matt Carson 99 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez 96 #7 - Aaron Hicks 96 #9 - Matt Koch 92 #10 - Oswaldo Arcia 87 #10 - Clete Thomas 87 Batting Average (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .319 #2 - Eddie Rosario - .313 #3 - Nate Roberts - .295 #4 - Chris Colabello - .286 #5 - Josmil Pinto - .285 #6 - Danny Santana - .283 #7 - Aaron Hicks - .282 #8 - Matt Carson - .278 #9 - Nate Hanson - .277 #10 - Chris Herrmann - .273 On-Base Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Nate Roberts - .437 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia - .389 #3 - Aaron Hicks - .383 #4 - Miguel Sano - .379 #5 - Eddie Rosario - .368 #6 - Jhon Goncalves - .362 #7 - Deibinson Romero - .358 #8 - Josmil Pinto - .351 #9 - Chris Colabello - .350 #10 - Matt Koch - .348 Slugging Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances) #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .533 #2 - Miguel Sano - .515 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .505 #4 - Chris Colabello - .502 #5 - Aaron Hicks - .459 #6 - Josmil Pinto - .458 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez - .440 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .439 #9 - Matt Carson - .434 #10 - Nate Roberts - .430 #10 - Evan Bigley - .430 OPS (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .922 #2 - Miguel Sano - .894 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .873 #4 - Nate Roberts - .867 #5 - Chris Colabello - .852 #6 - Aaron Hicks - .842 #7 - Josmil Pinto - .809 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .797 #9 - Matt Carson - .775 #10 - Matt Koch - .758 [ATTACH=CONFIG]1994[/ATTACH]

As we get closer to the end of the minor league seasons, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the leaders in many statistical categories. Throughout the season, Twins Daily has posted daily minor league reports. Within those, some names certainly tend to find their way into the reports more frequently than others. At the same time, there are others who have just been solid throughout the season and may surprise you when you see some of their rankings. There is still another 3-4 weeks, but this could be considered an early look at potential players of the year. Here are the Twins offensive statistical leaders through games played on Saturday, August 11th: Plate Appearances: #1 - Miguel Sano 478 #2 - Chris Herrmann 470 #3 - Aaron Hicks 467 #4 - Evan Bigley 464 #4 - Chris Colabello 464 #4 - Deibinson Romero 464 #7 - Danny Santana 463 #8 - Pedro Florimon 460 #9 - Oswaldo Arcia 438 #10 - Levi Michael 435 Hits: #1 - Oswaldo Arcia 122 #1 - Danny Santana 122 #3 - Chris Colabello 119 #4 - Chris Herrmann 113 #4 - Evan Bigley 113 #6 - Aaron Hicks 110 #7 - Matt Carson 108 #8 - Pedro Florimon 107 #9 - Deibinson Romero 105 #10 - Miguel Sano 100 #10 - Danny Ortiz 100 Doubles: #1 - Chris Colabello 34 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia 30 #3 - Eddie Rosario 27 #4 - Evan Bigley 25 #5 - Miguel Sano 24 #6 - Chris Herrmann 22 #7 - Matt Carson 21 #8 - Danny Ortiz 21 #9 - Aaron Hicks 19 #9 - Pedro Florimon 19 #9 - Dan Rohlfing 19 Triples: #1 - Danny Santana 8 #2 - Aaron Hicks 7 #3 - Niko Goodrum 6 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 5 #4 - Danny Ortiz 5 #6 - 8 tied with 4 Home Runs: #1 - Miguel Sano 23 #2 - Chris Colabello 18 #3 - Deibinson Romero 16 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 14 #4 - Evan Bigley 14 #4 - Wilkin Ramirez 14 #7 - Chris Parmelee 13 #7 - Lance Ray 13 #9 - Aaron Hicks 12 #9 - Adam Walker 12 #9 - Matt Carson 12 Runs Scored: #1 - Aaron Hicks 82 #2 - Chris Herrmann 80 #3 - Chris Colabello 68 #4 - Miguel Sano 62 #5 - Oswaldo Arcia 61 #6 - Danny Santana 59 #7 - Deibinson Romero 57 #7 - Matt Carson 57 #9 - Evan Bigley 51 #10 - Levi Michael 49 RBI: #1 - Miguel Sano 89 #2 - Chris Colabello 87 #3 - Evan Bigley 81 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 78 #5 - Deibinson Romero 66 #6 - Lance Ray 61 #7 - Eddie Rosario 58 #8 - Aaron Hicks 54 #9 - Chris Herrmann 50 #10 - Josmil Pinto 48 Stolen Bases: #1 - Aaron Hicks 27 #2 - Nate Roberts 19 #3 - JD Williams 17 #4 - Danny Santana 16 #4 - Jhon Goncalves 16 #6 - Darin Mastroianni 14 #7 - Joe Benson 13 #7 - Pedro Florimon 13 #9 - John Murphy 12 #10 - Aderlin Mejia 10 Walks: #1 - Miguel Sano 73 #2 - Aaron Hicks 67 #3 - Deibinson Romero 52 #4 - Levi Michael 48 #5 - Chris Herrmann 47 #6 - Jhon Goncalves 45 #7 - Oswaldo Arcia 43 #8 - Wang-Wei Lin 42 #9 - Lance Ray 41 #10 - Angel Morales 36 Strikeouts: #1 - Miguel Sano 128 #2 - Pedro Florimon 111 #3 - Evan Bigley 107 #4 - Angel Morales 103 #5 - JD Williams 100 #6 - Matt Carson 99 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez 96 #7 - Aaron Hicks 96 #9 - Matt Koch 92 #10 - Oswaldo Arcia 87 #10 - Clete Thomas 87 Batting Average (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .319 #2 - Eddie Rosario - .313 #3 - Nate Roberts - .295 #4 - Chris Colabello - .286 #5 - Josmil Pinto - .285 #6 - Danny Santana - .283 #7 - Aaron Hicks - .282 #8 - Matt Carson - .278 #9 - Nate Hanson - .277 #10 - Chris Herrmann - .273 On-Base Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Nate Roberts - .437 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia - .389 #3 - Aaron Hicks - .383 #4 - Miguel Sano - .379 #5 - Eddie Rosario - .368 #6 - Jhon Goncalves - .362 #7 - Deibinson Romero - .358 #8 - Josmil Pinto - .351 #9 - Chris Colabello - .350 #10 - Matt Koch - .348 Slugging Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances) #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .533 #2 - Miguel Sano - .515 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .505 #4 - Chris Colabello - .502 #5 - Aaron Hicks - .459 #6 - Josmil Pinto - .458 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez - .440 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .439 #9 - Matt Carson - .434 #10 - Nate Roberts - .430 #10 - Evan Bigley - .430 OPS (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .922 #2 - Miguel Sano - .894 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .873 #4 - Nate Roberts - .867 #5 - Chris Colabello - .852 #6 - Aaron Hicks - .842 #7 - Josmil Pinto - .809 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .797 #9 - Matt Carson - .775 #10 - Matt Koch - .758 [ATTACH=CONFIG]1994[/ATTACH]

I mentioned when I wrote my Notes from Day 3 in Beloit that due to travel, returning to work and some other things, I may not get to Notes from Day 4 for a bit. I really didn’t want it to take almost a week. However, it has. That said, I still feel compelled to write more about my trip to Beloit because it was such a great time. The Snappers are playing really well. Their lineup is really coming together well. Their starting staff has been terrific, generally providing the team with a Quality Start. And, the bullpen is full of very hard-throwers. This weekend, the Snappers returned to Beloit after a brief road trip. Starting last night, they play three games against Peoria, the Cubs affiliate. They just promoted high-profile Cuban defector outfielder Jorge Soler to the Midwest League. Let’s get back to my Beloit trip. If you missed the first days, be sure to read my Notes from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Sunday started with a quiet morning of writing. After checking out of the hotel, we met Jim Crikket at Applebees for lunch before heading over to the ballpark. The crowds on Thursday and Friday night were fairly small. On Saturday night, the attendance doubled, in part due to postgame fireworks. On Sunday, the Snappers have a great promotion. The first 500 fans would receive a Prince Fielder Beast Mode bobblearms. The line outside Pohlman Field wrapped around the outfield fence and out into the parking lot. Wisely, the first 500 fans got wristbands, and after the 5th inning, they were able to claim their Fielder Bobble arm. The Snappers were playing the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the affiliate of Brewers. Milwaukee is about an hour from Beloit, so there are always a few more fans when this team comes to town. The teams didn’t take batting practice. However, in the batting cage behind the third base, manager Nelson Prada was throwing to Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas and Tyler Grimes. The game was great. The Snappers won handily. Miguel Sano ripped a long, opposite field home run. It’s probably about 375 to the right centerfield gap, and there is an advertisement board that is probably 20 feet high. The homer went over that. Later, JD Williams ripped a long grand slam that really put the game out of reach. Like Matt Tomshaw and Jason Wheeler the two previous games, David Hurlbut was terrific, giving up just one hit over the first six innings. Tim Atherton went two innings, and Mason Melotakis pitched an inning in relief. After talking to several players and coaches following the game, I enjoyed being a call-in guest of the Gleeman and the Geek podcast. We talked about the Beloit team, but we also talked a lot about Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia and more. I had a chance to see GM Matt Bosen and Director of Media and Community Relations Chrissy Scaffidi before leaving. These two are great. They both work so hard. So does the entire Snappers front office. Seriously, I need to thank especially Chrissy for making the four day trip so great. They were very helpful and accommodating. It was great to catch up with other Twins bloggers like Jeremy Nygaard and Jim Crikket. (be sure to read his blog on his two days in Beloit.) It was good to see AJ Pettersen, who as you know writes here at Twins Daily regularly, again. It was nice to see his brother Josh again. It was great to meet a few more players that I’ve chatted with or tweeted with. Beloit is a great place for minor league baseball. I know that you will likely read many opinions to the contrary, but for all its downfalls, Pohlman Field provides an atmosphere that encourages fan interaction. I enjoyed meeting the fans, and seeing the players talk to fans between the dugout and their clubhouse. That is not the case other places around baseball. Why they don’t get more fans there, I will never understand. I have now made the trip over to Beloit three straight seasons, and I hope to continue that trend in coming years. There is still nearly a month of regular season remaining, so be sure to consider a trip out there. Check out their website and see when they are at home. In fact, the Snappers are hosting the Peoria team the next couple of days. You could see Jorge Soler as well. This Snappers team is fun to watch. They won a playoff spot in the first half, and it appears that they are setting their roster for the playoffs. The lineup is pretty solid. Nate Roberts and JD Williams are doing a very good job at the top of the order. Then the 3-4-5 punch of Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas is powerful. Drew Leachman is coming on again. Their starting rotation has been pitching really well of late, and they have some very strong arms pitching well in the bullpen. We left Beloit at about 5:30, and we got back to the Twin Cities by shortly after 11. Of course, Monday was full of more driving for me. Left the Cities at about 8:30 and got to Perham at about 12:15. Left there about 2:15 and got back to Warroad by 6. Below, you will find a few more pictures from Day 4: [ATTACH=CONFIG]1959[/ATTACH] David Hurlbut warming up before the game with pitching coach Gary Lucas watching. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1960[/ATTACH] JD Williams [ATTACH=CONFIG]1961[/ATTACH] Wang-Wei Lin signing autographs before the game. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1962[/ATTACH] Corey Williams playing a game with a fan. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1963[/ATTACH] Tyler Jones [ATTACH=CONFIG]1964[/ATTACH] National Anthem Line Up [ATTACH=CONFIG]1965[/ATTACH] Miguel Sano warming up [ATTACH=CONFIG]1966[/ATTACH] Sano after home run [ATTACH=CONFIG]1967[/ATTACH] Eddie Rosario at bat [ATTACH=CONFIG]1968[/ATTACH] Kennys Vargas connecting. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1969[/ATTACH] Miguel Sano at third base. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1970[/ATTACH] Mason Melotakis warming up. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1971[/ATTACH] Postgame - JD Williams [ATTACH=CONFIG]1972[/ATTACH] Postgame - Nate Roberts and his mustache and Tyler Grimes [ATTACH=CONFIG]1973[/ATTACH] Tommy Watkins high-fiving Eddie Rosario with Kennys Vargas and Miguel Sano behind. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1974[/ATTACH] Postgame - Jairo Rodriguez and Drew Leachman [ATTACH=CONFIG]1975[/ATTACH] Postgame - Dallas Gallant and other bullpen arms.